Welcome To Existence
by kdcullen
Summary: Edward has spent his existence searching for happiness. When his eyes fall upon small, four year old Bella, who was meant to become dinner to the Volturi, he can't help but feel that his happiness isn't as far away as he thought.
1. Scent, Beauty, Bella

_**Disclaimer:**_ I'm not Stephenie. I don't own Twilight, or any of it's characters. I only own the small cameo characters that I will create from time to time.

**New story! I feel weird writing about this, since it's obviously a big difference from the original Twilight plot, but I suppose I'll fall into it quickly. Please, let me know what you think! Reviews always give me more motivation to write more!  


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**Edward.**

I entered the room, feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and satisfied. Tonight, the rest of the guard would feed, and I liked to keep my distance from that. Sometimes, it was difficult to not enter the room and join the massacre of innocent human beings, but I kept my thoughts on my family. Alice, Esme, _Carlisle_ .. if I had slipped from normal diet of animal blood, they'd all be disappointed.

Of course, joining the Volturi wasn't something they were exactly proud of either. But, they respected my wishes. After almost a hundred dreadful, miserable years of roaming this earth, I needed to find something thrilling. I needed to find what belonged to me. When I had come here, I had explained to Aro, Caius and Marcus that my sole purpose was to try it out. I didn't know if my happiness lay at the hands of the Volturi, and if it did, I would gladly join the guard. I've had plenty of time to come to terms with the fact that I was a monster. But, even with this eternal curse, I have also discovered that even monsters can be happy. I didn't always believe it, but living with my family, it was inevitable. I didn't have Jasper's power, but the love that radiated off of all of them was enough to drive me away. Of course, I didn't resent them for it. They were happy, and they should be. But I wanted my own happiness, and I knew it wasn't there.

I had been here for a year now, but my stay wouldn't prolong much further. I knew that what I was looking for, I wouldn't be finding here. The Volturi, though known as elegant, graceful and royal, were simply an act. They were cruel barbaric demons, who searched for any reason to kill that they could. They occasionally were helpful in situations; executing the careless who threatened our secret. But I have been here long enough to know that watching them feast off of innocent humans, and destroying careless vampires was not fulfilling my desire.

_Finally caving in to your thirst, Cullen?_

I didn't have to look up to know who the thoughts had belonged to. I snarled, and laughed bitterly. Felix smirked, and stepped out of the shadows. _You and your disgusting diet. I don't know how you can stand it. I want to gag just smelling the blood on your breath._ I snapped my eyes up toward him. Felix wasn't the only one who ridiculed my request to drink animal blood, I hear it from just about every member of the guard.

"Heidi will be returning shortly. If you're not here to eat, you might as well leave," Jane growled at me from beside Felix. I let a smile plaster across my face, and nodded my head.

"I was planning on it. Actually, I was hoping to speak to Aro before your meal. I think I may depart from Italy tonight, and return home to my family." At the sound of my leaving, Jane immediately brightened up. _Finally. I've been waiting for you to split for a year now. You're not anything special to us. _Instead of my usual snarl, I laughed. I couldn't agree more. I didn't carry their sick desire to murder as they did. If that's what you needed to become 'special' in their heads, then I would much rather stick to being worthless.

"Is that so, Edward?"

I spun around, and met Aro's surprised face. I silently nodded, and he smiled.

"I feared this day would come quickly. I can't say I'm not disappointed, but I must respect your wishes to leave," he said. I let my lips fold into a half smile, and nodded once more. Out of everyone, Aro was the only one I carried even an ounce of respect for.

"I've already packed my things. I'll be on the first plane to Washington within the next two hours," I explained, and he smiled wider.

"Having you has been a pleasure. Despite what you've been told, you really are helpful. Are you sure about this? You wouldn't like to stay?"

I quickly shook my head. I had absolutely no reason to stay. There was nothing, nobody here worth missing. I wouldn't think twice about anybody here once I was on the plane. The only people in my life that I needed weren't here, they were residing in the small, rainy town of Forks, Washington. That was my home, and that was where I needed to be.

"Take care then, Edward. I hope to see you in the future." He smiled, and I felt relieved that he hadn't held his hand out. He held the gift to read every thought you've ever had when in contact with that person. He knew I liked to keep my thoughts private, and naturally avoided the handshake with me. I returned his smile, and quickly rushed through the corridors to retrieve my bags. I entered my room, grabbed them, and rushed back down. The first thing I noticed was Heidi. She was dressed as she usually was; tight, short skirts, revealing blouses and heavy amounts of makeup. She was the "fisher" of the guard. She was responsible for gathering everyone's meals. A large group of people followed behind her. My head was hit with many thoughts all at once. They varied from _this place is gorgeous _to _the only reason he wanted to come was because of this skank. _I chuckled, and studied the people.

I have grown accustomed to the guilt. Death awaited them in the next room, and they were all completely oblivious. I watched as they all took further steps into the room. Felix, Jane, Aro and Heidi were grinning at them in welcome, but in their heads, they were claiming their prey. I sighed, and nodded my head to Aro, before stepping closer to them. That's when it hit me.

A scent. A scent so powerful it stood out from all the rest. It clouded my senses, and paralyzed me to the spot where I stood. I tensed, and turned on my heel to find the source. My eyes immediately landed on her. _Her_. I suddenly felt weak as I stared at her. The monster inside of me was tearing at my throat, begging for the taste of her delicious smelling blood. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. That was when I realized the second thing that made her stand out.

Her thoughts were silent. I couldn't hear a thing. I focused on her, but was blocked. I was frustrated and angry at this girl. This _little_ girl. It was only dawning on me now that she couldn't be more than four years old. I breathed in her appearance. She was beautiful. Her skin was pale, and smooth as it lay unblemished upon her face. Her large, round eyes were the color of caramel, matching perfectly with her long, wavy mahogany locks. She stood, clutching her father's leg as her eyes roamed the room around here.

_Why are you still here, Cullen?_

I couldn't look at Jane to reply. Right now, my eyes belonged to the toddler that stood before me. Suddenly, as if realizing she was being stared at, she raised her curious eyes to look at me. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The monster inside of me was dissolving as I continued to watch her. There was something about her that I couldn't explain. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times, before she finally looked down, breaking our staring contest. A faint blush of red rose on her soft cheeks, and I backed away immediately. Her blood and beauty were both calling out to me. I didn't know what was happening.

She glanced at me one more time, before she was picked up into the arms of the man that she was clutching. I gulped as I watched him carry her into the room with the rest of them. She was going to be killed. I sighed, and shook my head free of all of the thoughts before I grabbed my bags again and took a few steps toward the exit. Her face was a permanent image in my head. The thought of one of those monsters spilling her blood made me growl loudly.

That's when the screaming began. I closed my eyes in a feeble attempt to escape the agonizing thoughts of the helpless humans in the room next to me. I knew better than to stick around this area during a feast. I took another step forward, fully prepared to walk out of this building and leave the Volturi forever, when I heard it. _God, please save my daughter. Please save my baby girl._ I gasped loudly, recognizing the thoughts of the little girl's mother immediately. I tried telling myself that she was just a human. She's just a little girl. She's not worth fighting for. But I couldn't convince myself enough.

The bags dropped from my hand, and I quickly entered the room, shedding light onto the dying humans. They groaned for help, thinking that I was coming to their rescue, but I was only searching for one figure. I found her in a corner. Her small body was balled up in horror in a desperate attempt to keep herself hidden. A few feet away from her, her father lay motionless and dead. The tears poured out of her eyes like raindrops, and my dead heart jolted to life for her. Ignoring the demands of Felix and Jane, I rushed forward, and took the sobbing girl into my arms. Her small fists pounded against my chest for a moment.

"Shh, you're okay. I won't hurt you. You're safe," I whispered into her ear. I felt her relax, and her small, warm hands wrapped around my neck. I held my breath, trying not to inhale her powerful scent. _You cannot take her! She knows too much! _I turned to Aro, and nodded.

"Her scent is overpowering to me. I plan to take her life," I lied quietly, so that she couldn't hear me. Aro grinned, and nodded. I knew that he also was repulsed by my choice of animal blood, so the news was refreshing to him. He let me leave, and I didn't waste any time in exiting the building, leaving my bags sitting by the door. Her head was nestled into the crook of my neck, her hot breath against the fabric of my t-shirt. I gripped her tighter as I walked quickly to where my taxi was parked. I climbed into the backseat, keeping her close to my body. The driver started to car, already knowing of my destination.

She suddenly raised her head, and her wet, teary eyes stared into mine. The breath was knocked out of me again.

"Mommy and Daddy are gone," she whispered in a fearful voice. I gulped, and nodded, never tearing my eyes away from hers for a second. The gesture seemed to stir up some more tears.

"It's okay. You're safe with me. I'm Edward. What's your name?" I whispered to her. She raised a small hand, and wiped away some of her tears. She sniffled, and opened her mouth. I gulped down the ache in my throat, and watched as she spoke.

"Isabella Marie Swan. But mommy and daddy call me Bella," she explained. Her voice was sweet, and my insides melted at the sound of it. I couldn't help but feel the irony in her name. Bella meant beautiful in Italian, and that was certainly what this little girl was. I smiled at her, and she stared at my face again before wrapping her arms around my neck once more. Her cheek pressed against my chest, and I breathed in once more.

It was wrong. I knew it was. But I couldn't help but feeling that the thrilling happiness that I had been searching so long for, was sitting in my lap right now.


	2. Heartbreak & Happymeals

Bella had fallen asleep in the car as the driver transported us to the airport. I had little trouble winning over the staff at the airport to allow her to accompany me on the flight back to America; my smile always seemed to loosen the females up. My gestures and movements were slow and quiet, as I aimed to keep her knocked out during the few hours that we had to be airborne. I was successful, mostly due to the fact that we were nestled alone in first class, with little disruptions from the stewardesses. It wasn't until we were in America, and exiting the airport lobby, that the angel in my arms began to stir.

"Daddy?" she mumbled weakly. I inhaled a sharp gasp at the smell of her breath as she pulled her sleepy face away from my neck. Her eyes were half-open, and her stunning brown orbs were shining from the slits of her eyelids. She yawned, and I tensed as her eyes fully opened. They were wide as they stared at me for a few seconds, but her small arms locked themselves around my neck for the second time as I continued to carry her out of the building. _Don't hog her, Edward. I want to see her too._ My head snapped up, and I saw Alice leaning against a crimson red Honda Accord. Her grin grew as her eyes danced upon Bella.

"I told the family. They're all preparing for her-"

"No." Alice frowned, but stepped aside as I opened the backseat of the car. I sat Bella down, and reached over to buckle her seatbelt, when her tiny fingers wrapped around my wrist. I gulped down the venom as I glanced at her face. Her chocolate eyes were big and fearful when they met with mine.

"Don't leave me, Edward," she mumbled, her bottom lip quivering. I melted instantly when she said my name. I flashed her a smile, and rubbed my thumb across her forehead, brushing some hair out of her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart. I'll be right back," I assured her, and gave her another smile as I shut the door. Alice was right behind me, confusion etched across her flawless face. Her arms were crossed over her chest. _What do you mean, no?_

"She's not living in a house full of vampires. It's out of the question."

"But where else would she go? Her parents are dead, and we don't know anything about her." I sighed, and my eyes flickered to Bella, who was sitting impatiently in the backseat. She was drumming her palms across the denim of her jeans, as she stared up at me in curiosity. I couldn't help but grin at her, before I turned back to Alice. She huffed in frustration.

"I'm taking her to an orphanage. She's much better off living with other human children."

Alice's face dropped. _I think you're wrong. _I shook my head, and opened the car door to the backseat once more. Alice was in the driver's seat before Bella had a chance to look up. I slid in the back beside Bella, and she smiled up at me. I was amazed. This little girl was quickly on her way to becoming my life, if she hadn't already taken the role. Her beauty was marveling to me. For some reason, she was special to me, and the past few hours spent with her had been more enjoyable than any of the 73 years of existence combined. I heard Alice giggle from up front, and both Bella and myself turned to look at her. Bella sank into my side as she stared at Alice, obviously uncomfortable with the stranger.

"Hello Bella. I'm Alice, it's nice to meet you!"

Alice leaned over the console to extend her pale hand to Bella. She cocked her head up to look at me as if asking permission, and I smiled in encouragement. She shakily took Alice's hand, and shook it. She mumbled a small hello, before her cheeks flushed and she diverted her attention to her lap. _She's gorgeous, Edward._ I looked up, and smiled to my sister, nodding in agreement.

"Bella, are you hungry?"

"Yes, please," she answered Alice, digging herself deeper into my side. The venom was building in my mouth, swirling in my mouth as if Bella were some piece of meat that it eagerly awaited to taste. I swallowed it down, as I turned my head away from Bella's face, watching as Alice pulled the car into some fast food restaurant. _Stay with her, I've got this._ Alice opened the door, and was about to step out when Bella spoke up.

"Mom says I'm not allowed to have fast food," she announced to Alice. She looked ashamed, and Alice only grinned at her. She leaned back into the car, facing Bella.

"And why is that?"

"Cause she says it's greasy, and not healthy, and it'll go straight to your eyes!" Bella exclaimed. Alice pulled her face down to hide her laughter from Bella, and I had to look away as well. I leaned down, and grinned at the clueless little girl. She was frowning as she looked back between Alice and I. I immediately felt guilty, but replaying the sentence in my head, I couldn't help but chuckle. She didn't know that the saying was, it'd go straight to your _thighs_.

"I don't think your mom would mind it just this once. It'll be our little secret," I whispered, winking at her. She grinned and giggled, as her head bobbed up and down. I laughed, and nodded to Alice, who was already in the process of closing the door. I watched as Alice skipped into the small building, and my attention was immediately given back to Bella. She was staring up at me, biting her lip.

"Mommy and Daddy aren't coming back to me, are they?" she whispered, her voice breaking. It was like a sheet of ice was building around me, as my entire body froze. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to tell her the truth, because it would upset her, but I didn't want to lie to her. She was the most important thing right now, and I hated that I put her in this position. I pressed my lips together, and frowning, I shook my head. Tears were already pooling under her eyelids.

"Why did the bad people take them away? They didn't do anything! Daddy was going to give back the towel he took from the hotel, I heard him say it!" she exclaimed, the tears now running down her face. My heart .. _Oh_, my poor dead shriveled up heart. It was like a cycle of never-ending shattering. Every time Bella shed a tear, it pained me. Every time she cried, I felt myself breaking a little bit. This was a strange feeling, and I didn't have the slightest clue what to say to her.

She continued to stare at me as she cried, probably waiting for some words of comfort. I desperately wished that I could quickly find something to say, but my breath was caught in my throat, and I was speechless. For the first time in my existence .. Edward Cullen didn't have a single thing to say. She didn't wait for my voice, but I watched as she unbuckled her seatbelt. I was about to find the strength to protest, but she whipped the seatbelt away from her, and scrambled into my lap. My teeth immediately snapped shut, and I stiffened, holding my breath. She leaned her head into my shoulder, and grabbed one of my ice cold hands. She didn't seem phased at the temperature of my fingers as she played with them soundlessly.

"Thank you for saving me from the bad people, I love you," she whispered as she dropped my hand and leaned back into my side. I gulped, muffling the gasp that I was tempted to let out. She doesn't know what she's talking about. She just has nice manners. She's four years old. Four god damn years old, but the three words impacted me greatly. Pieces of me were coming together, and I hated it. I hated that I had to give her up. I hated that she was the most important thing in my life, because I couldn't keep her, no matter how much I wanted to.

"I'd do anything for you, Bella."

A smile graced her beautiful face as she hugged me around my torso. I couldn't erase my joy, which was apparent on my own face. I heard someone clear their throat, and looked up to see Alice grinning at me, a happy-meal in her hand. She handed me the small bag, and slid into the front seat, turning the key in the ignition. The car purred to life. I opened the bag, and placed it on my knee, allowing Bella access to reach for the food herself. The smell of the chicken nuggets and French fries were enough to induce vomit from Alice I, if we could.

_Where are we going, Edward? Are we going to leave her with no clothing, no toys, nothing?_

I nodded at her as she stared at me in the rearview mirror. She looked angry, but I brushed it off, and looked back down at the angel on my lap. She was chewing a fry loudly, while playing with a matchbox car that she had been given in the happy-meal as well. She made small zooming noises, and ran the car across my thigh, making me laugh. She giggled as she grinned up at me.

"Lasseter Hills, Alice," I hissed quietly. She sighed loudly, and nodded. Lasseter Hills was the most well-known and prestigious orphanages in Washington. Children were adopted from their program everyday. Bella would have a fighting chance there. She would be swept up in an instant. She was the most amazing little girl ever, and I was positive that she'd have a great _human_ life with her new,_ human _foster parents.

Still, the idea made me frown. I was openly giving away my life. In a few short minutes, after Alice turns down this street, we were going to arrive at Lasseter Hills. I was going to leave Bella. She was going to forget all about me, and for some reason, the thought of her never remembering agonized me. In a few short hours, she had effected me so incredibly, and had little hope that I might have the faintest bit on her as well.

Alice pulled the car over, stopping in front of a large brick building with colorful handprints stamped across it. She turned around to look at Bella, and watched patiently as she finished her meal. When she was done, she gripped the small car in her left hand and looked up at me. She was just now realizing that the car was stopped. She looked around, taking in her surroundings.

"Where are we? Is this your house?"

I shook my head, and gulped down my sadness. This was it. Alice threw me a sympathetic smile, and exited the car. I held Bella tightly for a moment. Reaching around my neck, I pulled out the hidden gold chain that was tucked safely under my shirt. Attached to the chain, held my mother's wedding ring. It was the closest thing to my heart that I had, and I was giving it to Bella. I discarded it from around my neck, and placed it around Bella's doubling it so it wouldn't be so long. She picked up the ring with her tiny, fragile fingers and studied it.

"Wow, it's pretty!" she gasped. I smiled, and nodded.

"Just like you," I murmured, and touched my cold fingertip to her nose. She giggled again, and another rush of red spread across her cheeks. I opened the car door, and gripping her tightly, rose to my feet. She wrapped her legs around my torso as I carried her onto the front porch. I set her down, but she was reluctant to let me go. I pried her fingers from my t-shirt, and kneeled down to her level. I could feel Alice's presence from behind me.

"We have to go now," I whispered sadly. I watched her face drop, and she began to shake her head furiously. She launched herself at me, and locked her arms around my neck. I sighed in frustration. This was making things so much harder. I detached her from my body, and let my hands cup her cheeks as I tried to still her head, which was still shaking violently.

"B-but you can't leave me too! What about the bad guys?"

"You're safe from the bad guys, Bella. I'll always be watching over you. But you have to stay with these nice people, okay?" I asked, and my dead heart crashed when I saw fresh tears slip from Bella's eyes. She nodded.

"Will you come back and see me?" I smiled, and nodded.

"Do you promise?"

"I promise," I declared, and held my pinky out. She sniffled her tears, and twisted her tiny pinky finger with my mine. I grinned, and brought our two adjoined pinkies to my mouth. I kissed them lightly, and she smiled. I let her go, and gave her a soft nudge towards Alice, who caught her with open arms.

"It's been fun meeting you, kid!" she exclaimed. She held out her hand, expecting Bella's timidness to continue, but Bella shoved the hand away and wrapped her arms around Alice's neck, surprising her. She smiled, and inhaled her scent while rubbing her back gently. I heard the thoughts in the building becoming closer, and I knew we were being rather loud. I quickly pulled Bella back to me once again. I held her against my chest, trying to find the will inside of me to let her go. I felt her small hands pushing at my chest, and I immediately lightened my grip. She leaned in, and I held my breath as her warm, soft lips brushed my left cheek.

"Love you," she whispered again, before I regained my posture. I tried my best to smile at her, to show her that this is what was right. She nodded, and stepped toward the door.

"Take care Bella," I whispered, and she stared at me one last time, before opening the door, and disappearing from my life for good.


	3. Shattered Like Glass

**Bella.**

To most, the sun was the logic and perfection of a beautiful day. It provided light, warmth and joy upon the world. It was a key factor in the lives of many, as it effected their days quite frequently. The sun could make or break a good mood, a good day, a good celebration, a good anything. It was very rare that you find someone who detested it's presence._ Normal _people enjoyed the sun's company. Then again, I have never been normal.

My eyes continued to stare up at the blazing, blinding object that sat perched high and mighty in the cyan colored sky. It was taunting me; pouring light among the dark-clothed people that surrounded me. I was positive that if I kept my gaze much longer, I was going to lose my eyesight, but I didn't pull my eyes away. I was looking further past the sun. I was trying to find any trace of a heaven .. any trace of the powerful being I have been taught to believe in. I have never done this before. It was always second nature for me to trust my beliefs, but now, I held nothing in my heart but doubt. If there was a God, why was he doing this to me?

A sharp yet defined cry pulled me out of my staring contest. Though my vision was momentarily tainted from the sunlight, I could visibly see one of my female cousin's hunched over the wooden casket that sat before us. Her body was shaking, and her small fists were pounding lightly against the texture of the wood. My heart jerked frantically. _Knock louder_, I wanted to scream._ Knock louder, and wake him out of his death! _I gulped down my sob, and quickly turned away from my cousin. My eyes caught the framed picture that sat on a pedestal next to a mass array of colorful flowers.

He was smiling happily up at me, like he was still here, still gracing me with his presence, still taking care of me. The sun shifted in the sky, causing a glare to appear on the picture from the glass on the frame. I scowled, and stepped closer to erase it. It really _was_ taunting me. I kept my eyes glued to the picture, breathing in the image. I noticed a small scar on his jaw, and my lips twitched at the corner as the memory of him accidentally hitting himself in the face with a sparkler filled my head. It had been my eleventh birthday party, and I was upset because nobody had shown up. He began playing with the sparklers; throwing them and trying desperately to make me laugh. Unfortunately, as he attempted to catch the unlit end with his teeth, he caught the sparking end with his chin instead. I had fun trying not to laugh as he explained the story to the doctors in the emergency room later that night.

Every piece of his face held a memory close to my heart. Every memory would become a piece of my heart now. He wasn't my father, but he was the closest thing to one that I had. Biologically, he was my uncle, Thomas Swan. He was a 48 year old body guard at the local amphitheatre. He was a Virgo. He had never been married. He liked to play hockey. He liked to read. He was considered a nice friend, a good neighbor, and a great man. But in my heart, he was .. everything. He was my rock. He was my best friend. He was my father. _He was the only thing I had left_.

I had been sent to live with Uncle Tommy a few short months after Edward and Alice left me at Lasseter Hills. Apparently, orphanages didn't work like the movies anymore. After I stepped into the building with nothing but the matchbox car and necklace that Edward had given me, they grew suspicious. Only a few minutes later, I was escorted to the police station by a nice officer whose name I do not recall. I had told them as much as I knew at the time, but left out the details of the "bad guys", as I referred them to. A few simple DNA tests, and background checks confirmed my identity, and closed the case of the missing child from the scene of the _accident_ in Italy. To the rest of the world on that day, the "accident" had been the explosion of a tourist bus, causing the death of around twenty, including my parents. But to me, Edward and Alice, the accident was nothing more than a massacre and feast of innocent human beings. I wasn't sure what kind of creatures the culprits were, but I didn't believe for one moment that they were human. The image of their crimson eyes, pale skin and abnormal beauty was forever planted inside of my head.

After telling my adventurous tale of Edward and Alice to the police, they searched continuously for the two. I kept my hopes up everyday that the police would find them. Edward had pinky promised me that he would visit me, but how would he know where to find me if I wasn't staying at Lasseter? But they never found any traces of the two. It was as if they didn't exist. I liked to consider them my own guardian angels.

Shortly after my identity was revealed, I was sent to live with Uncle Tommy, who was named my godfather when I was born. He was one of two of my father's brothers. I've spent the last thirteen years of my life with him in this big city of Roseville, which was located right smack dab in the middle of Michigan. My life here had never been glorious, but I was somewhat happy, and it was all because of him. But he was gone now. Just like my parents.

I heard another loud sob, and quickly closed my eyes to block the vision of tears. I told myself I wasn't going to do this. Uncle Tommy would've hated this. He was so lively, so upbeat and spontaneous. This kind of environment would've been an insult to him. I bit my lip. _Don't do this. Don't do this. He wouldn't of wanted you to cry like this_. But that didn't stop the lone teardrop that involuntarily slipped from my under my closed eyelid. And that was all it took for my muffled sobs to finally be released.

I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep myself quiet, but it came too late. Through my tears, I watched as various members of my distant family all stood in concern, alarmed by my outburst. To escape their watching eyes, I slid to the ground next to the pedestal that held his picture. I was as far away from the casket as I could be, but I wasn't far enough. Just knowing that the man who had sheltered me, and loved me for all these years was about to be lowered into the ground was enough to make me melt into the ground with him. I covered my eyes, trying to stop the tear flow. Through my eyelashes, I could see the fingers closed around my eyes were glowing red. The sun was dancing in the sky, laughing at me, laughing at my loss. I sobbed again, and backed up against the pedestal by accident. It wobbled a bit, before an object crashed loudly against the ground in front of me. I winced as glass shattered, spewing into jagged pieces around my lap. I removed my hand, and glanced at the object sitting in front of me. The picture frame was broken, and his happy face smiled up at me through the broken glass. I slammed my eyes shut immediately.

_I grunted in annoyance as I tried to steady the bags in my hand. I fumbled for the doorknob, trying to twist it without dropping and damaging any of the items in my arms. I sighed in relief as I heard a click. Using my left foot, I kicked the bottom of the door softly, pushing it open. I stepped inside, immediately breathing in the familiar vanilla scent of the house, and pushed my backside against the door, closing it._

_"Uncle T, I hope you have your fat pants on! I got Chinese for dinner, and I pretty much bought the entire potato chip stock of the corner store!" I yelled up the staircase. I quickly entered the kitchen, and let the bags fall onto the small wooden table. I pulled my jacket off and hung it around one of the chairs, before looking around. I stepped forward, entering the living room. The television was left on, and I recognized the high squeaky voice of Spongebob Squarepants. I chuckled. Uncle Tommy was probably the only 48 year old man who still watched cartoons. Grabbing the remote, I clicked off the TV, before quickly jogging up the staircase. It was unusually quiet. _

_"Uncle T? Don't forget that it's Friday! I picked up a DVD for our usual Friday night activity. Some zombie movie that's supposed to be really gory. I thought you'd appreciate that," I announced in the middle of the hallway. Out of the three doors, only one was open, and it was mine. I sighed as I knocked gently on the bathroom door, before pressing my ear to it. Silence. I frowned._

_"Uncle Tommy?"_

_I turned around, and knocked on his bedroom door. I waited for a few seconds, and sighed in aggravation when the door never opened. I knew he was here. His pick-up truck was sitting in the driveway. _

_"I'm coming in!" I yelled, and waited a few more seconds before I turned the golden doorknob and pushed the door open. The room was silent and dark. But the gray daylight poured through his window, illuminating my path to his bed. A bulky figure was slumped against his bed, under the midnight blue comforter. I gulped. The silence was terrifying. And by silence, I meant that the only breathing I was hearing was coming from myself. My fingers were shaking as they gripping the edge of the thick blanket. I closed my eyes as I ripped the blanket away from him. When I opened them, I screamed._

_He was laying in his bed, in a pool of his own blood. Broken, bloody pieces of glass was scattered among his body. My eyes were wide, and my breath was caught in my throat as I slumped to the floor in hysterics. He was dead._

Homicide. That's what the police were calling this. But it was murder. Cold-hearted, cold-blooded _murder_. His killer has yet to be found, and I didn't anticipate them ever cracking the case. I have seen this kind of murder before. It was them. It was the "bad guys". It was the same creature as the ones that resided in Italy and killed my parents. I was a walking magnet of death. Death accompanied me everywhere. Gruesome, cruel death.

A warm hand grasped my forearm, and pulled, in an attempt to get me onto my feet. I opened my cloudy eyes, and was met with a familiar face. It was the same facial structure as my father, and my Uncle Tommy. He smiled, and my heart thumped erratically in my chest at the comfortable alignment of teeth that the brothers all shared. Without hesitation, my arms immediately wrapped around his shoulders as he held me close to him.

"I'm sorry, kid. It'll be okay."

His voice was soothing, but not comforting.

"No, it won't. I don't have anybody. They're all gone," I hissed between my teeth as my bottom lip quivered. His hand rubbed my upper-back as I soaked his button-up shirt. He cooed into my ear, trying to quiet my loud, depressing sobs.

"You have me, Bella. We'll start anew, and we'll both be okay. Don't forget that you're coming to live with me. I'll take care of you, sweetheart," he explained as his chin rested against my shoulder. I held him tighter to me. Even his scent reminded me of my lost family. I wanted to protest. I didn't want to move to Forks, Washington. I didn't want to grow attached to Uncle Charlie, only to have him ripped away from me. I didn't want to curse his life, and put him in danger. I didn't want my heart, and my soul to shatter anymore than it already has. But I couldn't stop myself as he grasped my hand, and we walked away from the funeral with the sun beating down on us.

Uncle Charlie was transferring my luggage from my car, to his. We would be getting on the first plane to Seattle immediately after leaving here. I looked up at the sky once more. Instead of staring at the object of my hatred right now, I studied the clouds. They were pushing together, overlapping each other as they moved slowly in the clear sky above us. A small gust of wind flew around me, making the chain around my neck flap. The gold of the ring attached to it flipped, bouncing once with the movement of the mind. I caught it in my fingers, still looking at the sky. Edward's face flooded my senses.

Even after thirteen years, I remembered every inch of his perfect face. It often invaded my dreams, where he would be smiling and comforting, and even for those eight hours, I was happy. I had always daydreamed that one day I would find him, we would fall madly in love, get married and grow gray together. Of course, the daydreams were simply of that, _dreams_.

Because there were a few things I was absolutely certain of. First, Edward had to be at least sixteen years older than me. Second, he probably wasn't alive anymore. If he was, the police would've found him. And third, he belonged among the same species that the "bad guys" were.

But nevertheless, my heart continued to beat everyday, for him.

For my _Edward_.

* * *

**I really hope that I didn't confuse anybody with this chapter. I wanted to explain everything in a convenient way, without having to write about four or five unnecessary chapters about Bella's life in Michigan. I think I pretty much covered everything. If I haven't, I will in future chapters. Anyway, thank you for the reviews! I appreciate them a lot, so keep it up! **


	4. It Had To Be Him

To be honest, I hated being the center of attention. I feared it, actually. This could explain why instead of anticipating Christmas and my birthday, like most young people do, I dreaded the two. It could also explain why right now, I felt as if I was going to spontaneously combust with nervousness. Or annoyance. Whichever comes first.

As I stepped out of my rusty antique of a truck, which was a gift from Uncle Charlie, I felt the attention within seconds. Sure, it could've been for the vehicle I had just entered the parking lot in, but I highly doubted it. This town was unbelievably small. It was one of those communities where everybody knew each other, and your business was never disregarded. Because of that, Uncle Charlie had to give me a small pep talk this morning. Actually, I'd say it was more a warning. He explained that the news of his brother's death had become pretty big, but the news that I was arriving in Forks was even bigger.

They weren't courteous enough to divert their attention when I looked up at them. Their eyes continued to watch me as I yanked open the heavy door, and trudged inside the small building. I stood still for a moment, letting myself adjust to my surroundings, before I spotted a big white sign that read _'FRONT OFFICE' _in large, black capitalized print. I sighed, and pulled off my mittens, shoving them into pockets of my button-up jacket. I entered the small room. It was full of academically inspiring but lame posters, and framed pictures of whom I assumed to be students. On the side of the wall, sat about six or seven orange plastic chairs. On the wall opposite of the chairs, was a large desk that dominated the space of the room. It was perched protectively in front of two closed, wooden doors. Sitting at the ridiculously large desk, was a heavy-set woman with fiery red hair. A pair of purple thin-rimmed glasses lay overtop her small, beady eyes as they stared at the computer screen in front of her. I cleared my throat politely.

"What can I help you with?" she asked, as she smiled up at me. I returned her smile.

"I'm Bella - well, Isabella Swan. I'm new," I stated, suddenly feeling a wave of idiocy fall over me. Of course, she knew that I was new. After some research online last night, I learned that this school held only about 300 students, which was almost half the size of junior class in Michigan. At my old school, I was good at being invisible. It was pretty easy to fall into the background. But here .. that might be a little bit impossible.

"Oh! Chief Swan's niece! It's nice to meet you, I'm Mrs. Cope," she exclaimed enthusiastically. Her face suddenly dropped, and she leaned in closer. "I was so sad to hear about your uncle." I cringed, my fingers balling into fists at my sides. I could handle the attention of being new, no matter how much I hated it. I could handle the frustrating broken record questions that I knew I was going to have thrown at me. But I could not, and _will not_, deal with any comments or remarks about _that_. She must've noticed her mistake, because her fingers quickly began tapping nosily on the keyboard. Seconds later, the printer came to life. She picked up the paper, and before gathering a few more items, placed them on the desk in front of me.

"I apologize for bringing it up, dear." I groaned to myself, but managed to give her a sincere smile, letting her know that she was forgiven.

"Here is your schedule, a map of the school, and the school handbook. Anything you should need, you'll find in there. Will you need help finding your classes?"

"I think I can manage. Thank you," I mumbled, and gave her another small smile. I quickly grabbed the items from off of the desk, and held them against my chest as I exited the small room. By the time I stepped back outside, the parking lot was packed. Much to my surprise and joy, none of the cars were really extravagant. My truck was still probably the oldest in the bunch, but it made me feel much comfortable knowing that there were no snobby, spoiled rich kids in Forks.

"Hey new girl!"

I gritted my teeth together, and closed my eyes for a moment before turning around. I was met with the grinning face of a tall, blonde boy. His eyes were a pale shade of blue, which contrasted quite well with the color of his skin. His sandy blonde hair fell into his forehead just above his eyebrows. He was cute, I'd give him that.

"It's Bella," I corrected. He nodded, still grinning, before whipping his hand out from his pocket. He extended it to me.

"Mike Newton."

I accepted his hand, and shook it quickly, before letting it go and sliding my mittens back on. The cold air was bitter against my skin, the wind blowing it into my face with force. I gasped, losing my breath for a moment, before shifting my body to face the opposite direction. He noticed the papers in my hands, and pulled them out of my grip without permission. I scowled. I know I was being grumpy. It was my first day at a school that I didn't want to be at, in a town I didn't want to live in .. but he wasn't going to help my attitude towards this situation. His eyes scanned the paper that I had yet to look at, and I watched as his grin grew. Oh, no ..

"Sixth period Gym, yes!"

I bit back the urge to groan, and put on another smile. He shoved the paper back into my hands.

"I'll see you later, Swan. You can join me and my friends at lunch if you want," he said. I shrugged my shoulders, adjusting the strap of my bag. For a blissful second, I had forgotten that everybody already knew who I was. If only I could be that lucky.

"Maybe. See you later," I replied before giving him a small wave, and turning on my heel to walk away. I shivered as I crossed the parking lot to my truck. I still had another twenty minutes to kill, and I wasn't about to dive head first into the sea of students that swarmed the hallways of the school. I threw my bag against the hood of my truck, still feeling antsy from the eyes that were locked intently on me from different directions. I pulled out my schedule, and let my eyes drift over the small black print that organized my miserable day.

I heard the soft zoom of a car approaching, and ripped my eyes away from the paper. A shiny, silver Volvo swiftly pulled into the parking spot next to mine. I jumped back a bit in surprise at the expensive car that I wasn't expecting. It sat in the spot for a good two seconds, before the owner shut off the engine. I quickly brought the piece of paper up over my face, feeling self conscious with the over-sized piece of history that sat behind me. I didn't look up at the owner of the car as I pretended to read my schedule, but I could hear the jingle of keys and scraping of footsteps on the pavement. And then a loud gasp.

On instinct, I looked up.

_Hello, heart. Meet the boy that has been causing you beat in radical rhythms from my dreams for thirteen years._

He was staring at me with those wide, golden eyes of his. They were exactly how I remembered them. As a matter of fact,_ he _was exactly how I remembered him. Messy bronze hair, pale white skin, frighteningly beautiful. His jaw was rigid, and I noticed his entire body was tense. I shook my head to get rid of the shocked look I was probably wearing. I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't find my voice.

_It's him. He's here. He hasn't changed. Holy crap, it's him._

I was trembling. I couldn't tell if it was from the astonishment, or the chilly air, but my body fell into shakes with my uneven breaths. I wanted him to say something. I wanted him to confirm that he was really Edward.

"Edward!" I looked behind him, and saw a girl with wavy blonde hair standing on the other side of the car. She was glaring at me, her arms crossed over her chest. I inhaled sharply at the sight of her. She too, was abnormally gorgeous. My heart began to swell, thumping loudly in my chest. She had confirmed it. It was him. _It had to be him_. The resemblance was uncanny, and I wouldn't forget that face for anything in the world.

I locked onto his gaze, and opened my mouth to finally speak. At the least, I needed to say hello. I need to say something.

But that was when I noticed the look on his face. He was just looking at me. He was glaring at me. His eyebrows were burrowed in anger, his once topaz eyes were now darkened to an almost glossy onyx. It startled me, and I took a step backwards, accidentally jabbing my elbow into the truck behind me. I gasped in pain, and grasped it with my other arm. His eyes narrowed, his nostrils flared. He opened his mouth, giving me a perfect view of his flawless alignment of teeth. The bruising pain on my elbow dulled, but not before erupting into another sharp pain. I held onto my elbow tighter, not daring to take my eyes away from him. I gulped, and opened my mouth once more.

"Edward," I mumbled pathetically.

He growled loudly, and took another step toward me. I didn't back away. I didn't look away.

"Edward, enough! Let's go!" I heard a deep voice boom from behind him. A pale hand slapped down on Edward's shoulder, and shoved him out of our staring contest. I looked at the boy behind him and gasped. He towered over me, glaring at me with the same angry gaze that the rest of them had given me. His eyes were a bright topaz as well. He was like Edward, and Alice, and that blonde girl. He shoved against Edward's forearm, pushing him against the blacktop with force. He helped Edward scramble into the backseat of the Volvo, before sliding in the drivers seat. I watched weakly as Edward glared at me through the tinted window of the backseat. It was hard to see, but his pale skin was illuminating quite well through the window. I gulped, and felt myself breaking apart as the car sped away noisily.

I couldn't move. I couldn't blink. Couldn't breath, think, or see anything else except for the hatred in his eyes. It was him. _It had to be him_. My own guardian angel, my own personal savior was here.

But that simple fact alone couldn't erase the steady flow of pain that ran throughout my body. It was pretty difficult to mistake the look on his face for anything other than anger. Anger, or hate, or fury. The thought of him hating me sent my already shriveled heart into overdrive. What had I done? What had I said? Nothing. I had done nothing, and I had said nothing. Yet, my head was scurrying to find the answer.

"Are you okay? That cut looks pretty bad."

I snapped my head to left. A girl with dark brown hair, and rounded glasses stood. Her backpack was slung over her shoulder, and her hand was stretched out towards me. I gulped, and moved my head to look down at my shoulder, but my nostrils got there first. I held back the gag as I turned my elbow. The fabric of my jacket had ripped, exposing the pale flesh. A long, crimson stained gash sat in the middle of the ripped hole. I gulped, and felt my knees start to wobble.

"I- I'm not good with blood," I managed to mumble. The girl noticed my shaky knees, and immediately stumbled to my side. She dropped her backpack on the wet ground, and lifted my arm, draping it around her shoulder. I felt the second round of idiocy hit me. It was my first day here, school hadn't even begun yet, and I already managed to injure myself. I was a walking hazard to myself.

As she helped me wobble to the nurse's office, I became very aware of the eyes on me yet again. I groaned, and the girl helping me chuckled.

"I'm Angela, by the way. And you're Isabella," she said. I felt relieved that she didn't ask, because the answer was so obvious. I nodded my head, trying to concentrate on our conversation now rather than the blood seeping from my elbow.

"I prefer Bella."

"How are you liking Forks so far?"

"I'm not," I grumbled, and she laughed. "I feel like a complete moron already."

"How'd you end up doing that anyway? Like I said, it looks pretty bad," she commented, lifting my arm to look at the gash once more. I groaned, and using my free hand, slapped it over my face.

"Jammed it on my truck. I'm glad I'm going to the nurse now though. I'm going to need to know the name of my new best friend," I joked, and felt relieved when she laughed. I was somewhat content that Angela was helping me rid the shock of what had just happened, but it was still there. I didn't think it'd ever go away. Because he was here. My Edward was here. My Edward that I had dreamed and wished about for thirteen years, was here. And he hated me.

The wind blew ferociously on our face as we neared the building. I turned my face again to escape the bitter blows it brought. I gasped loudly.

"Alice!" I yelled. She was leaning up against the wall, chatting quietly with a guy who had curly blonde hair. She turned her head to look at me when I screamed her name, and she grinned. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. She knew who I was! She remembers me! I took a step forward, forgetting that I was locked in Angela's embrace. I turned to say something to Angela, but when I looked back, Alice and the boy were gone. I frowned.

"You know Alice Cullen?"

I looked back up at Angela, still frowning. I gulped down the rejection, and shook my head as we entered the building.

"No, I guess not."

The stinging pain returned to my elbow once more. Angela noticed my grimacing, and quickened her stride. I closed my eyes, allowing her to lead the way. The looks I was getting were too much. I gulped once more, trying to remember Uncle Charlie's number. I wasn't staying here today.

Not when my elbow was gushing blood. Not when I couldn't keep my eyes open for three seconds without producing tears. Not when I was so vulnerable and exposed. Not when I felt pathetic.

And certainly, not when my heart left in that silver Volvo.

* * *

**I tried to mix it up. I really didn't want to write something like all the others, where he ignores her in Biology class. I probably re-wrote this about six times. This was the result. Let me know what you think! Thanks!**


	5. My Heart & The Dirt

**Edward.**

Emmett kept driving until we met the dark depths of the familiar forest. The ride had been silent, except for my occasional groans of shame. He hadn't spoken a word to me, and for that, I was grateful. He also kept his thoughts centered on a football game he had just recently watched, to make it easier for me to tune him out. Though I appreciated the silence, and the fresh scent of wildlife surrounding us, I was mentally ripping myself to shreds.

I couldn't erase her face from my mind. Her awe-struck, astonished, horrified face as I stared at her in fury from the backseat window of the Volvo. I couldn't erase the sound of her calling my name, the syllables rolling off of her tongue in perfection. I couldn't erase the sound of her heartbeat increasing. It was as if every second, it crashed against her ribcage even quicker. She was afraid of me. And she should be.

I had almost killed her. She had skid her arm across a jagged piece of metal that hung from the side windows of her rusty truck, breaking open the skin. Her tantalizing, delicious and dangerous smelling blood seeped through the wound, and that's when I lost all control. I was positive that I was going to kill her. In my head, I had already been formulating plans. Though I was clearly aware that the parking lot was full of witnesses, I didn't care. It would've been so easy to grab her, break the bones, paralyze the arm and drink her dry. It would've been so disgustingly easy. And I hated myself for that.

The mere idea of Bella being dead at my hands was painful. She was my life, my happiness, my everything. She had become my own personal oxygen since the first moment I had laid eyes upon her in Volterra. Not a day went by that I didn't think of her, or wish that in some perfect world, I could have her. Though she was just a little girl when I had met her, she was the picture perfect image of beauty. I had no doubt in my mind that when she aged properly, she would be the most gorgeous human in the world. But the simple idea of her teenaged beauty was absolutely nothing compared to her flawless features now.

"Come on, Edward. You need to hunt," Emmett's rarely quiet voice filled the car. I sighed, and nodded, before opening the door and stepping out. Different scents from different directions hit me immediately. I closed my eyes, and jumped forward, springing toward the trees. I could hear movement already, and I didn't care what kind of animal it was, I just needed blood.

I crouched, my eyes narrowing at the sound of rustling in the bushes ahead of me. I crept forward, and a mountain lion stepped out of hiding. My lips curled back as I felt the venom start to protrude from my gums, hungering for the crimson liquid that pulsed throughout the animal before me. Without hesitation, I sprung forward once again. I let everything fill my head as my hands snapped it's defenseless neck. My fury for Bella, my shame for Bella, my everything for Bella was building as the blood filled my mouth, pleasuring me and guilting me at the same time.

I stared at the lifeless creature in my arms once I raised my mouth from it's neck. Limp body, eyes rolled back, blood smeared. I snapped my eyes shut as my imagination got the better of me, and the lion became Bella's body. I dropped it immediately, and backed away. When I opened my eyes, the lion reappeared. I gulped, and smoothed my hand over my face. I heard the cracking of branches and leaves, and felt Emmett's presence behind me.

_I can clean up. You should get out of here._

I didn't speak, but nodded once, before I allowed my legs to break into a quick sprint. The speed was exhilarating, and I felt myself moving much farther than I ever had before. The house quickly came into view, but I didn't slow my pace as I flew through the front door. Esme was waiting for me, and met me at the top of the stairs. Her expression was worried as I stepped past her, and entered my room. She was behind me.

"What's going on?"

"I'm leaving. I cannot be here." Her face twisted into worry and sadness. I felt a surge of guilt for making her feel this way. Esme's motherhood wasn't just an act. Her love and care for us was unbelievable. I turned, looking at her as I dragged a suitcase from the large closet. I threw random articles of clothing into it, before sighing. I stopped. _Why are you leaving? What happened?_

"Bella is here. She's in Forks. I- I can't-" Esme stepped closer, and pushed her small palms against my shoulder blades. I gulped, and stared at her face. It was comforting, and re-assuring, just like a mother's face should be. She gave me a soft smile.

"You wouldn't hurt her. I know you wouldn't," she asserted. I opened my mouth to respond, but another image of Bella's shocked face flashed into my head, and I pushed myself away from Esme, my fingers curled into tight fists at my sides. She stepped closer, and I shook my head furiously. I was seething, breathing unnecessary breaths through my gritting teeth.

"I almost killed her, Esme. She cut herself, and I almost killed her!" I bellowed. The shock was apparent on Esme's face, but she didn't speak. She stepped aside, watching me as I angrily threw more clothing into the already jammed suitcase. When I could no longer shove anything more into it, I zipped it closed. I took a long look at my room, before turning to my mother once more. I sighed as I stepped half-way to meet her. She caught me in a tight hug, her hands rubbing soothingly across my upper back.

"I don't know when I'll be back," I murmured. I felt her nod, and she pulled away. I placed a light kiss on her cheek, before grabbing my suitcase, and exiting the house. Emmett had returned my Volvo to the house, for it sat in the driveway as I stepped onto the porch. I looked back at the door, where Esme was leaning against the frame. I gave her a small smile as I slid into the driver seat.

"Give the family my goodbyes," I announced, before closing the door. I couldn't get the key into the ignition fast enough, before I was speeding down the winding and curvy road. My head was spinning with thoughts. Where would I go? There were so many options. My family and I owned houses in a lot of different places across America, and even some in England and France as well. It would be so easy to escape.

My hands clenched the steering wheel tighter. I was running away again. I was leaving Bella again. It was painful enough the first time, but now it was just unbearable. I remember the day that I had come back for her. It was my breaking point. It was only a year after I had left her. I had stealthily snuck into Lasseter Hills, and checked every bedroom. Nor Bella, or her scent lingered in any part of the building. I was split into many emotions. Happy that she had been adopted, sad that she wasn't here. I remember going through the children's files, but finding absolutely nothing about an Isabella Swan. I was deflated. There was no trace of Bella anywhere.

After that day, I let it go. I never went searching for her. But that didn't mean she didn't consume my thoughts every second of every day. Of course she did. She had my undivided attention.

As I swiftly turned the car down a dirt road that led to the highway, I was surrounded yet again by immense amounts of vibrant green. The trees to the left side of me were spread apart, giving me view to the contents of darkness that was engulfed between them. I was familiar with this forest. I came here often to hunt, because it had a good supply of deer. I usually stayed away if I could help it, because it was also a hang out to many wandering humans. Like right now. I could vaguely make out the shadow of a girl, walking down the busy path that was set long ago.

I slowed the car when I neared her, and my sanity went out the window.

It was Bella.

She was walking slowly, her arms holding her stomach as if she were in pain. Her head was lowered, and her long locks of mahogany colored hair spilled over her face. Each footstep with hesitant. Each breath she took was shaky, as her chest would rise and fall dramatically. I gulped, and momentarily stopped the car, trying to make sense of this. It would be so, so wrong for me to get out of this car.

But I had to.

I pulled the car over, and quickly exited, closing the door as quietly as I could. I gracefully drifted through the forest, taking careful footsteps so I wouldn't be heard. I found myself behind her. The wind wasn't too intense through the blanket of trees, but it was enough to make me thirsty once more. I swallowed the venom, and continued to follow her. She would stop occasionally, and look around, before walking again.

I had followed her for about ten minutes, before we came across an open clearing. I examined it more carefully, and had to bite back the gasp. It was a small meadow, full of fluorescent flowers and plants. The grass was a perfect clarity of green, and there were no weeds in sight. The sun overlooked the tiny area, pouring it's light onto it and intensifying it's wonder. I wouldn't have been able to look away from it's beauty if the only thing that beat it in comparison wasn't standing right in front of me.

She found a small rock, and I watched silently as she jumped to reach it. It took her a few tries to finally get on top, leaving me to wince every time she fell. Once she was on top, she pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. I moved closer, still staying hidden, and noticed her eyes. In the sunlight, the chocolate brown was brightened to a dark shade of honey. It contrasted quite nicely with her pale, creamy skin. But not with the redness that surrounded her eyes. I instinctively leaned closer, and something inside of me broke. She was crying.

I was trembling as I moved even closer. I had always been astounded by the silence of Bella's thoughts, but now more than ever, I wished that I could hear. If even for just a minute, I_ needed _to know what was running through her head.

She sniffled loudly, before digging her face into her knees. Her body was shaking, and I could hear her quiet sobs with every breath that she took. I found that I was taking uneven breaths myself. Bella's sobs were incredibly hard to endure.

The sun shifted in the sky, moving so it sat directly above her head. She snapped her head up suddenly, and I had a clear view of her distraught face. She tilted her chin, and stared up at the sky. Her face twisted suddenly, becoming one of anger. Her hand moved from her leg, and she fumbled with something under her shirt. She grasped it between her fingers, and yanked it out. The gleam of the sun caught it immediately, and the glint reflected back into my eyes. I gasped. It was my ring. My mother's ring. _Bella's ring_.

She pulled it into her palm, and I watched as her fingers closed around it for a moment. She continued to glare at the sky, blinking only when tears began to build up beneath her eyelids. A few minutes later, she brought her head back down. Her eyes were closed, and I was worried that maybe she had caused her vision some kind of damage. But she opened them seconds later, and stared at the golden ring that lay in her palm. Still gripping it, she pulled it up, allowing the chain to move upward and fall off of her neck.

I watched in complete despair as she let the chain hang off of her finger for a moment, before she whipped it onto the dirt at the bottom of the boulder.

This was a new kind of pain. I gave her that necklace as a representation of my heart. Her throwing it into the dirt was the equivalent of her throwing my heart into the dirt. I closed my eyes, backing away. She didn't want me. She didn't want anything to do with me now. I blew it.

An annoying polyphonic version of _Pop Goes The Weasel _erupted from her pocket. I opened my eyes as she was pulling out a small silver phone. She sighed, looking at the screen before flipping it open, and pressing it to her ear.

"Hello? Hi Uncle Charlie. No, I haven't made it home yet," she huffed, lowering her shoulders. She looked up at the sky again before continuing. "I just stopped at the grocery store to get myself some soup. I think it'll make me feel better. Oh, no, that's okay. No, don't come home early just for me. I'm fine. Uncle Tommy raised me well," she murmured.

I stiffened. Bella must've been taken to her uncle after the death of her parents.

"I think it's just the weather. I mean, I know it can get cold in Michigan, but it's a piece of cake compared to this!" she exclaimed grimly, before adding in a fake laugh. I frowned. Michigan. It was so far across the country, and I hadn't even known she was there. She sighed again, her finger drawing circles on the stone that she sat upon.

"Okay, I'll see you later. Bye," she mumbled, before closing the phone. She gripped it in one hand, and her head flew back up to look at the sky. I was intrigued. She seemed so fascinated by the sky. I felt bad, but it quite amusing to watch her stare up at the sun. She suddenly climbed off of the rock. Her landing was anything but graceful, but I felt better when she picked herself up. She stared down at the chain that was now covered in dirt, before turning to walk away.

And that was it.

I was left to stand, hidden pathetically behind various amounts of trees, watching her disappear into the thick array of forest. The chain that held my heart for so long was laying in a heap in the soil. I took a step forward, prepared to pocket the chain, when another rustle caused me to jump back. It was Bella. Again.

She didn't seem to notice me as she walked confidently forward. She leaned down, and with one hand, gently swiped up the chain. She stared at it again, before a small smile graced her perfect face. She shook the dirt off of it, before pulling it back onto her neck. The ring fell to her chest, where it belonged. Where it was meant to be. She smiled once more, before turning on her heel, and disappearing into the forest once more.

The corners of my lips twitched violently, until they curled into a smile. I tried to get my head straight. What was I doing here? Where was I going after this? The memory of today's event replayed in my head, but this time, I didn't cringe. Bella had come back for my heart. She had found me. _She was here_.

And there wasn't any way in hell that I was about to leave.

* * *

**It might be a little short, sorry! Anyway, since I'm such a rebel, I had to find some other way to introduce the meadow. I kind of like Bella finding it first, even though she didn't really get a chance to appreciate it this chapter, haha. Thank you for the reviews! You guys are really awesome! By the way, if you haven't seen the movie yet .. Go! Now! It's great!**


	6. To Forget, To Give Up

**Bella.**

My alarm clock beeped loudly at 7 A.M. I groaned as I rolled over, sleepily throwing my arm forward to stop the deafening loud noise that was sounding dangerously close to my head. My vision was still blurry, but I managed to knock it off the dresser, and it toppled to the hard-wood floor beneath my bed. The sound stopped immediately once the batteries flew out. I sighed in relief, before slowly sitting up.

As always, I was a bit disoriented at first. The throbbing headache, itchy eyes and sharp pains on my elbow were slightly confusing. Then, as if somebody had thrown it at me, everything suddenly hit me all at once. I remembered the hateful glare in Edward's eyes as the car sped away from me, the gleeful grin Alice wore before she disappeared, the dripping blood as Angela helped me to the office, and of course, feeling completely humiliated and dejected on my first day. I hadn't even made it an hour before I fell apart. I could only imagine what today was going to be like.

But no matter how much I wanted to curl back into the warm comforter of my bed, I couldn't. Uncle Charlie was counting on me to stop being so miserable, and this certainly wouldn't help. I owed it to him to be a normal teenager. So despite my own wishes, I was going to suck it up, swallow my misery and complete my first full day at Forks High School. Ugh.

After a quick shower, I dressed lazily into some blue jeans and a green thermal tunic hoodie. I pulled on my worn out sneakers, before grabbing my bag and jogging down the stairs. Uncle Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table, chewing on a cold piece of pizza. I rolled my eyes.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and _that's _what you're eating?"

He glanced down at the slice of pizza, before shooting his eyes back towards me. He chuckled, and shrugged. I sighed, smiling playfully before I grabbed a cereal bar out of the cupboard. I sat down across from him.

"I'll pick up some groceries later today. Uncle Tommy is .. _was_ the same way. He would've either died of obesity or starvation if I didn't know how to feed him," I explained, earning another chuckle from Uncle Charlie. He nodded, and placed the half eaten slice of pizza back down onto the plate. He cleared his throat, before his eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure you're okay to go back? If you're not feeling well, I don't want you out of bed."

"I'm fine. Like I said, I wasn't adjusted to the weather, I guess. I'm dressed more appropriately today," I said, gesturing down to my hoodie. He raised an eyebrow, before picking up his mug of steaming coffee, and took a small sip.

"You sure?" I nodded.

"Well, if you start to feel sick again, don't hesitate to come home."

Home. The word sent shivers through my body, and a sharp pang at my heart. This certainly didn't feel like home. I didn't want to, but I had to accept it. Right now, this was home. At least until I turned eighteen, and moved away for college. I could find my own haven, _my own home_. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything Uncle Charlie is doing for me. I loved him so incredibly much for taking me in. But I was sick of feeling like an incompetent child with issues. I was sick of being tossed around from Uncle to Uncle, while the deaths continued to add up. I was going to be out of here as soon as I graduate.

I gave Uncle Charlie a chaste goodbye, before exiting the house and entering my truck. I threw my bag onto the passenger seat next to me, and put the keys in the ignition. The roar of the engine sounded, and the piece of rust came to life, making me smile slightly.

The drive to school was silent. I didn't have the patience to listen to talk radio or deal with long commercials. Besides, my odd taste in music was never played on any stations. Once in awhile, if I felt the urge, I'd turn on the classical station, and let the soothing sounds of a symphony orchestra drown the small cab, but I mostly kept it silent.

I pulled the truck into a parking space close to the building. I didn't want to trudge across the blacktop and feel more eyes on me. I didn't have any doubts that my news of leaving early yesterday was spread around the entire student body, making me even more vulnerable today than yesterday. And as I hopped down from the high step of my driver seat entrance, I felt my fears confirmed. Just like yesterday morning, they kept their eyes locked on me. I saw a group of three girls huddled into a small circle, their eyes diverting to me every few seconds. I turned my head, and saw a group of about six guys standing around a van, all with letterman jackets. They were chuckling at me. I groaned, and adjusted the strap of my messenger bag. I kept my eyes down as I stepped into the warm building.

I pulled the crumpled up schedule out of a pocket on my bag. Locker 306. I looked up, and felt relieved that I was only a few lockers ahead of it. I took a few steps back, and after memorizing the combination once, yanked it open. I kept my schedule and map of the school in my pocket, and pulled two spare notebooks out of my bag. I hung my bag on a hook, before closing it. I jumped when I saw Mike Newton standing on the other side.

"God, you scared the crap out of me," I muttered, taking a breath as I held my hand to my heart in exaggeration. He snickered.

"So Swan, how come I didn't see you at lunch or gym? I heard you got banged up and had to leave."

My eyes were twitching, wanting to desperately to roll back into my head. My lip was quivering, fighting the urge to yell. And my fingers were shaking, balling up into a small fist as I surprisingly pictured myself punching him in the face. But with my luck, I'd break my hand or something. I wasn't sure why I felt such a strong dislike towards Mike, but I usually trusted my judgment. I wasn't going to act on it though, not yet. It wouldn't be nice to have a reputation as a heartless bitch.

"First, it's Bella. I don't call you Newton, so don't call me Swan. And secondly, yeah, I cut my elbow. I'm a freak when it comes to blood, so I got sick," I explained, hoping my story would satisfy him. Apparently, it did. He grinned, and moved closer to me. Ugh, stay down, cereal bar. Do not let me vomit.

"Okay, Bella. Do you plan on sticking around today?" I nodded, smiling politely as I shifted the notebooks in my arms.

"Awesome. I'll see you at lunch, you can sit with my friends!" he exclaimed, and before I could protest, he was strutting down the halls, shouting hello's to some guys that were standing around. I groaned, and lifted my notebooks to slam them against my head. The bell rang suddenly, causing me to wince as I stood just below it. Students began to scramble, hurrying towards their classes. I glanced down at my schedule, and set off towards Government class.

The day was moving quickly, and I was more than happy for that. My first three classes seemed tolerable. The teachers were decent, and worked at a much better pace than those at my last school. I was content with how my day was going. That is, until the bell after third period rang, which for me, meant lunch. I didn't want to sit next to Mike and his friends, but I wouldn't have much of a choice. I wasn't going to sit at a table by myself. That would just make me look lonely and pathetic.

I wasn't feeling hungry, so I opted for an apple and a bottle of water. I paid for the two items, before turning around and scanning the cafeteria. My eyes landed on Mike Newton, who was looking around as well. Probably for me. I ducked my head, and saw a table not too far from the door. Suddenly, the idea of sitting by myself wasn't too bad. Keeping my head down, I reached the table, and sat silently. I nibbled on the apple, my eyes tracing the patterns on the tan colored table. I heard a chair scrape across from me, and I looked up.

I gasped, my eyes widening.

"Alice?"

She was quiet as she folded her arms across her chest, leaning away from the table. I could tell she was fighting it, but I saw the corners of her lips twitching, inching into a small smile. My heart jumped erratically, doubling it's previous pace. I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't find my breath.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," she greeted formally, nodding her head. My face immediately dropped, and I felt my heart drop to my knees. She extended her arm across the table, and I hesitantly shook her hand. The cold skin didn't surprise me. One thing I distinctly remembered about Edward was how cold he was, but it never bothered me.

"You don't remember me?" I mumbled, biting my bottom lip. I raised my eyes to hers, hoping that she'd find some ounce of familiarity in her brain. I had already concluded that whatever creatures they were, they didn't age. They probably rescued tons of little girls before, but I held some hope in my heart that I stood out. But her face remained grim and confused as she squinted her eyes.

"I don't believe we've ever met. You're new in town, are you not?"

My mouth went dry, and I immediately felt stupid. I blinked back the ridiculous tears.

"O-Oh. Sorry. Guess I thought you were somebody else," I muttered, lowering my head again. I could still see her though, out of the corner of my eyes. So I turned my head to the left, and if it were possible, my heart dropped even more. Sitting a few tables away, sat Edward. He was glaring at me again, his eyes darting between Alice and I. I saw the recognition in_ his _eyes, though. He remembered who I was.

I quickly turned my head back to Alice. She was smiling.

"So, how is life with Chief Swan?" she asked, trying to make conversation. I gulped down the hurt, and opened my mouth. I tried to think of words, tried to form a sentence in my head before I ended up sputtering out gibberish.

"It's okay. A big change, but I'm dealing." She nodded, her fingers tapping lightly against the tabletop. I gripped my apple tighter, tracing the edges of the bite marks that were intended into it. She cleared her throat, and I looked up once more. She was now standing, hovering over me. She gave me another smile.

"I just came to meet you. It was nice talking to you. I should return to my own table though," she announced. My heart beat tripled at the idea of her walking away from me, but I couldn't ask her to stay. She obviously had no idea who I was. They obviously wanted nothing to do with me. Mustering up as much strength as I had, I nodded weakly. She smiled, and turned on her heel.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. She turned, facing me. I moved my head to the left once more. Edward was still glaring at me. I let my fingers grip the necklace. I smoothed my thumb across the ring. It was the one thing that kept me hopeful that I would find my saviors. It was the only thing that kept me sane, to be honest. But I didn't need it now, I guess. My saviors weren't coming to my rescue anytime in the future. One of them hated me, and the other didn't have a clue who I was. I sighed before I pulled the necklace off. I reached for her hand, and placed it in her palm, closing her freezing cold fingers around it.

"Give this to Edward, please. Tell him I don't want it anymore," I mumbled. I stood, and threw my trash into the bin beside me. I quickly stepped around the hoards of students, trying to escape the noisy cafeteria.

"Swan- I mean Bella! Over here!"

I ignored Mike, and continued at my speedy pace. I found the room for my next class, Creative Writing, quickly. I found a young, pretty woman sitting at a desk, humming quietly to a song on the radio behind her as she engulfed herself in paper work. Her name was Ms. Scortan. She was very nice, and very pleasant. She allowed me to settle in, showing me to a desk that usually wasn't occupied.

I sat in silence for the next ten minutes, awaiting the bell to ring and the students to pour in. I was already calm about this, since Ms. Scortan promised me that she wouldn't make me introduce myself like I had been forced to in my other classes. Somehow I already knew that this was going to be my personal favorite class.

Once the bell rang, my guard went back up. I watched as the classroom began to fill, and nobody failed to sit down without glancing at me. Out of habit, my fingers reached up to grasp the ring around my neck, but I ended up clutching at air. I gulped at the discomfort of not having my necklace. I felt so naked without it. But it didn't matter. It didn't belong to me anymore.

I pushed my hair around my face, blocking my view from the rest of the class. I couldn't stop them from staring, but I could stop myself from having to catch them. I kept my posture like this for almost five minutes, until the bell rang once more, signaling that class was beginning. I could hear footsteps squeaking and stepping against the linoleum floors, but I never raised my head.

"Good afternoon, guys. I don't feel so well today, so I'm going to skip the torturous lecture, and just give you your assignment. Mythical creatures, mythical monsters, tall-tales, legends, scary stories, things of that nature. Pick one, and focus your writing around it. I don't care if it's a story, a poem, an informational essay, whatever. It has to be at least 2 pages, single spaced. You have a week to work on it. Now, go!" she exclaimed, chuckling as the class groaned in protest. She sat back down at her desk, and the chatter around me began.

I leaned my head against the desk as I tried to think of some interesting subject to write about. Unicorns? No, too weird. Dragons? Nah, too Harry Potter. I sighed as I bit my lip. I tried to think of movies that contained some form of mythical creatures. My head only replayed movies I had just recently seen. My cousin had given me the DVD's to watch on plane ride to Forks. _Spanglish, Chasing Liberty, 30 Days Of Night_. Ugh, this was-

Wait. 30 Days Of Night was about vampires. Those could be categorized as mythical creatures. I knew the basics from movies, but I'm sure I could scrounge up some more information off of the internet. They drank blood, slept in coffins, feared the sun, couldn't enter a room without permission and hated garlic. Seemed simple enough. I breathed in relief as I scribbled the word on the top of my assignment syllabus. VAMPIRE.

* * *

**I'm about 45 minutes late, but Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all you Americans had a good holiday and stuffed yourself silly, just like I did. Haha. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As always, your input is greatly, greatly appreciated and loved!**


	7. Soft Spoken Name

**Edward.**

My heart. I held it between my fingers, letting it dangle continuously back and fourth in front of my face. My heightened sense of sight allowed me to view every error that would've been etched into my heart, but I could find none. Bella had left my heart without a scratch .. until now, that is. It was clearly damaged. It was cracked, and on the verge of breaking. Though it wasn't visible, I could feel it. As I held the small golden ring between my fingers, I felt the immense amount of damage that radiated off of it. And even now, as I held it perfectly still and safe, the breaking continued. Though the owner had returned it to me, I couldn't place the blame on her. The reason my heart was damaged was because of my own actions.

I had watched in blatant agony as Bella pushed the fragile necklace into Alice's hands, closing her fingers around it to secure it before turning on her heel and stumbling away. I instinctively moved my chair back, making a beeline for her as she reached the door, but Alice pushed me back down into my seat. I wasn't going to make a scene in a cafeteria full of ridiculous, gossiping teenagers, so I obeyed. Now as I sat quietly, impatiently waiting for the bell to sound, I argued the options that I had.

One, I could keep the necklace and leave everything the way it was now. Bella would continue to despise and avoid me, but at least she would be safe in the process. Her negative attitude towards me would pain me every second, but opportunity cost. I'd much rather see her hate me, than see her dead.

Two, I could go against every boundary and limit I was setting for myself, and define reality. I could befriend her, and keep us both happy at the same time. If I kept her at a healthy distance, I'm sure I'd learn to get used to the raw burning sensation in my throat that erupted every time she inhaled a breath. I could return my heart to her, if she'd want it. It didn't belong with me. Even now, clutching it gently in my fist, it felt wrong.

Of course, I preferred option two so much more than option one. Though the idea of Bella being safe was so comforting, the idea of her hating me wasn't so pleasant. Every part of me was screaming for option two. It was a joyous idea, that the two of us would be together. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to accept it. Even if I did learn to control my thirst to be around her, it would be a constant game of chance. I wasn't about to risk her life to keep me happy.

_Stop moping. The bell has rung. But you should hang out in the car. You're blood-typing in Banner's class. Unless you feel like a massacre, I suggest you avoid class. _I nodded to Alice, and rose from my seat. I avoided the mass crowd of students who messily filed out of the cafeteria doors that led to the cramped hallways, and fled from the fire exit door. Once in my Volvo, I leaned against the seat, my eyelids closing. Oh, Bella .. out of all the places to have an uncle .. why Forks? I was torn. I was struggling with my decisions. Though I've never been one to care this much for humans, every step I took with Bella had to be heavily examined. This was a weary and dangerous situation, and I had to be more than cautious with my actions.

I couldn't erase the elated feeling that had taken a permanent spot in my body since she arrived. Though it had only been a few days, I was feeling more alive, rejuvenated and satisfied with just knowing that Bella was close enough for me to watch over.

For the next hour, I let the enthralling sounds of Debussy pour through the car, relaxing me into a gentle state. Though I couldn't sleep, I still daydreamed. I imagined a world where I was human, and Bella and I were together without complications. I could speak to her without feeling the frustrating urge to kill her. I could be near her without venom dripping from my abnormally strong teeth. I could inhale her beautiful aroma without plots of murder formulating inside of my head. I could be with her, _really_ be with her.

I snapped my eyes open harshly when the sound of distant chatter erupted. I watched as the doors began to open, and students began exiting. I glanced down at the digital clock on my dashboard. It was only a minute after the scheduled ending for school. I sighed, not bothering to leave the car. Alice already knew I was waiting. I kept my gaze on the door, watching groups of teenagers playfully wrestle as a crowd began to form. Their chants and cheers were loud amongst my eardrums, but I only heard one voice.

"Excuse me, I need to get to my truck," she spoke. Her voice was soft and quiet. I could hear the annoyance that was laced thick in her request. I moved my eyes, watching warily. And then she emerged from the crowd.

My fingers subconsciously tightened around the steering wheel. I felt the material protesting against my grip, falling frail to my strength. I immediately let go, and let my hand turn the key that was stuck in the ignition. Slowly, I moved the Volvo closer to where her truck was. I stopped the car, turning off the engine as my eyes watched her shuffle lazily to her truck. She opened the passenger door, and dropped her bag from her left shoulder. She moved her hand to catch it, but it dropped to the concrete with a small thud.

I heard her groan as she bent over to pick up the belongings that had scattered across the pavement. The wind picked up, causing stray sheets of paper to fly from her folders. She groaned louder, her voice resembling a frustrated shout. She moved quickly, jumping quickly to grab the airborne papers. As soon as she was sure that she had retrieved everything, she jammed it all back into her bag, and tossed it into the truck, closing the door behind her. She moved to the other side, her hand yanking the driver's door open. She looked around before entering. Her eyes met mine.

I gasped, my insides twisting with desire. I lowered my head quickly, but caught her devastated face as she quickly jumped into the truck. I heard it roar to life, and watched as she sped past by my car, not giving me a second glance. Guess I deserve that. I let my eyes fall back upon the spot where she had just previously been. A piece of white paper was stranded, moving across the parking lot. It was too far away for me to read it's contents, but I knew it had come from Bella's bag. I sighed. It's a piece of paper, Edward. Ignore it.

But I couldn't. I quickly jumped out of the Volvo, running at a faster pace than normal, and grasped the stray piece of paper. I stiffened. I could even smell the faint of scent on the paper as well. I turned it over, gently smoothing it out with my fingers. I let my eyes roam over the piece of paper. It was a syllabus for her Creative Writing class. My eyes moved upward, and I was about to pocket Bella's assignment when the word caught my eye.

It was scrawled messily on the top of the paper in bolded print. **VAMPIRE**.

Shocked, astounded, astonished, dismayed, frightened, terrified, _horrified_. She knew. Oh, no. No, no, no. _She knew_.

My eyes hadn't left the word. They were wide as they traced every letter, before moving to the rest of the paper. Maybe she had some kind of explanation written down. I felt my breathing hitch when I found nothing else. My hands tightened as I tensed, and I heard the sharp rip of paper. I looked down, and sighed when Bella's syllabus was ripped into two pieces.

"I don't know what kind of infatuation you have with that piece of paper, but I'd really like to actually leave now, dude." My head shot up toward Emmett, who immediately backed up in defense. He placed his hands in front of him, silently showing me that he meant no harm. I softened.

_What's going on?_ I turned to Alice, and held up the two separated parts of the paper. She looked confused for a moment, but as her eyes stared objectively at the word that sat doomed at the top of the paper, she gasped. _I haven't seen anything though. Her future is precisely bland. Really boring. _I sighed, dropping the shreds of paper. I was taking big strides to the car, the family following close behind.

"Because right now, she's probably deciding to stay away from me. I have no place in her future," I mumbled, turning the key in the ignition once more. Alice, who had taken the liberty to sit herself in the front, put a hand on my shoulder. I glanced over at her. She was frowning.

"But you should."

I felt the growl erupt from the bottom of my throat, and she huffed in anger. _You're impossible._

"Well, _I _want to be a part of her future. Do you have the faintest idea as to how hard it was to disappoint her at lunch today? She knows who we are. She's not an imbecile, Edward. Though she accepted my lie, she doesn't believe it. And frankly, I don't want to play along with this stupid game. I know you wouldn't hurt her. I know I wouldn't hurt her. We're both perfectly capable of keeping her safe. So, I don't know about you, but I'm not holding myself back anymore." Her speech left me dizzy. I opened my mouth to recite my rebuttal, but she beat me to it.

"Out of every city, every state, every country- she's here, Edward. Doesn't that tell you anything? I know you aren't one to believe in fate, but it's possible. But I for one, am going to accept it, and befriend her. I won't push you onto her, but she's important to me too, okay?"

I felt their eyes on me. I nodded. If it were any other time, I would've argued my case. I would've persisted that Alice stayed away from Bella. I would've made my point loud and clear. But I couldn't get my head away from the one thing that was eating away at me. _She knew_.

Dropping the family off, I told them that I needed to hunt. They knew I needed to be alone, and left me without any further questions. I drove, my body controlling the car. My mind was still in the parking lot where I had left the shreds of paper. As I drove, my head replayed every word that Bella and I had ever shared. _Thank you for saving me from the bad people, I love you. _I felt myself smiling. I let the car loop around every bend, every curve, every dirt road that I came across. I had been driving for hours. What little light that kept the day bright was now gone. I looked at the clock. 11:13. I sighed, and pulled down an unfamiliar road. That's when it hit me.

Bella's scent.

I pulled the car down the road, and found myself in front of a white house. I gulped, realizing my mistake. This was Bella's house. Her truck was resting in the driveway, noises ticking below the hood from it's last expedition. I could hear shuffling from inside of the house, and I closed my eyes tightly.

"Drive the damn car, Edward. Don't do this," I mumbled to myself through gritted teeth. My foot hovered above the gas, and I battled with myself. _Go, get the hell out of here, Edward_.

But I couldn't leave.

Pulling my car further down the street, away from sight, I left my car. I crept quickly back to the house that held my Bella. Lights were on in what I presumed was the living room, but Bella's scent seemed stronger from the upper-level. I moved towards the tree, getting a firm grip on it, before jumping up. The branch led me straight to her windowsill, where I kept myself perched. I pushed my face to the glass, looking around. Though the room was dark, I could see Bella's figure slumped onto the bed. Her chest was rising and falling softly, and I could hear her soft breathing patterns. I sighed, and turned, crouching to jump.

"Edward."

I stopped. A sickening ice was freezing over my body, making it unable for me to form a coherent thought. I was gripping the branch so tightly, that I heard it snap under my shaking fingers. I let it go immediately, and watched as it dropped to the ground below me. I turned, and pressed my face against the window once more. She was facing the window now, but her eyes were closed. She was still sleeping. She was sleep-talking.

I nudged my fingers below the edge of the window, and pulled. Surprisingly, it opened without force. I frowned. I'd have to let her know what could happen if she keeps leaving her window unlocked._ This_. This could happen. I stuck my head inside, and breathed her in. God, this smell was glorious. I gulped down the venom, and pushed my entire body inside, trying to keep myself as quiet as possible.

_Ugh, I'm exhausted. I think I should call it night. I wonder if Bells is sleeping yet._ I heard Chief Swan's footsteps ascending the staircase, and I dropped to the floor, rolling under her bed at my quickest pace. I heard the door creak open, and a scarce amount of dim light poured into the room from the hallway. _Sleeping like a baby. _I waited until I could hear his soft snores come from the next room, before I moved out from under her bed.

"Edward .. please," she muttered. I jumped, and snapped my head toward her. She was still sleeping. Her flawless face was twisted into a frown, her lips parting with her whispering breaths. I moved closer, still wary of my own presence. This wasn't safe for Bella. One wrong move and I'd take her life in her sleep. No, this wasn't good. I had to get out of here.

"Please .. don't leave .. bad guys are still .."

I found myself leaning closer to her, inching forward with every word she mumbled. I couldn't help myself. I couldn't leave her now. I inhaled, holding my breath, before pressing my icy lips to her forehead. I felt her relax immediately. I leaned into her ear.

"I'm here, Bella. I won't leave," I whispered. I smiled, watching her frown fall. She twisted in the bed, moving on her other side so her back was facing me. I sighed, and stepped backwards into the corner of her room. I watched her for a few minutes. She kept mumbling different things, but mostly my name. Every time my name left her lips, I felt myself come to life. _This_ was a different feeling. _This_ was happiness. It had to be. It was the best feeling in the world.

I re-opened the window, but before I jumped out, I remembered something. _My heart_.

I reached into my pocket, and pulled out the chain. I made sure the gold ring was attached and unharmed, before I set it gently onto her dresser. This was it. I was breaking down every barrier that I had set up. I was going to involve myself with Bella. I would accept the consequences, and keep Bella safe at the same time. I couldn't stay away any longer. I moved out of her window, and pushed to close it.

"Edward .. happy," she murmured. I couldn't help but grin. I closed the window softly. As I ran back to the Volvo, the joy I had built up since entering Bella's room got to me. I ran faster, letting the cold wind nip sharply at my face. I couldn't erase the toothy grin that took over my face. I closed my eyes, stopping when I reached the silver car. I leaned up against it, and taking a breath, I threw another glance at the house. I smiled again.

"I'll make you happy, Bella."

* * *

**Okay, so I _had_ to remain true to some scenes. I think it was crucial to my story, though. I sat here for hours, trying to come up with some way to do this, and I only found writing Edward's little night escapades to Bella's room more suitable. I hope I didn't disappoint, though. I'll admit, I don't think it's my best work, but cut me some slack, it's 3:30 in the morning here! Haha. I'm sorry for the delay, though. I've been kind of sick lately. I'll try to update more often, but I alternate between this story & _Falling Slowly_, my other Twilight story. But like always, let me know what you think! Thanks!**


	8. His Golden Eyes

**Bella.**

_"Visitors, Friends, won't you join us all for dinner?"_

_Nobody had the chance to reply. The lights dimmed dramatically, causing murmurs of confusion and protest to ring among the crowd. The man who had just recently spoken stepped forward. His gesture was so quick, so graceful that my father stepped back. Though the lights were dimmed, his pale skin stood out. It was bright, just as vibrant as snow. He smiled, revealing a set of flawless dentures._

_A group of people entered the room. I heard my mother questioning their entrance under her breath. They gathered around the pale-skinned man, and turned to us. Their skin was also white, giving the room a dull but entrancing illumination. My mother leaned in close._

_"Want to just grab something to eat on the way back to the hotel? I'm exhausted, and I know she is too," she whispered to my father, gently pinching my side as she mentioned me. He smiled, and nodded once. He turned, my mother following me as we walked swiftly to the big door in which we had entered. A young girl stood in front of it, grinning at us. _

_"We must insist that you accept our invitation." _

_"Oh, no thank you. My daughter is really picky about what she eats," I heard my mother explain in a rather annoyed tone. The small girl never moved, her grin never faltered. My mother scoffed, and stepped forward. _

_"Look, we'll come back some other time, but I'm really tired and-"_

_I watched curiously as the girl kicked her foot back, and the big red door slammed shut. I winced, and lowered my head into the crook of my father's neck. My mother took another step forward. _

_"What the hell do you think you're doing?"_

_"Stay," the girl commanded. Her voice was suddenly sharp, demanding. My mother shook her head, and turned around, where the rest of the gathered crowd was listening to the pale man in the front of the room. His voice was low, and I moved my head closer to hear what he was saying. His head hung low, as he seemed to be staring at something by his feet. His long, black hair fell in front of his face, creating a mask. _

_"This is ridiculous," I heard my mother mutter in a frustrated voice. The pale man suddenly snapped his head up, his eyes glaring at my mother. The crowd gasped, and I had to squint to see what was wrong. I found the problem within seconds. His eyes. They had been previously hidden by the layers of hair, but they were a solid, milky crimson color. I tightened my small hands around my father's neck, as he began to shake. I was confused._

_The pale man grinned wickedly, making me shiver in fear. He extended his arm. _

_I didn't know what was happening, but suddenly, everything was chaotic. The crowd was frantic, their screams deafening loud against my brittle eardrums. They was running, scurrying throughout the large room. I was breathing heavily as I lifted my head to look at my father._

_"Daddy?" He was moving quickly, breathing heavily as well. His eyes were wide, and I could see the horror that clouded them. I looked around, waiting for my mother to gather me in her arms and take us away from this place. But she was nowhere to be seen. Father dropped us to the ground, and pushed me under a table that was hidden by a long tablecloth. He followed after me, engulfing me in his arms. _

_"Shh, you have to be quiet, Bells," he cooed softly. I nodded, and closed my eyes tight. We sat in silence for a few seconds, both trembling for our lives. I felt the cold air before I heard my father scream. I snapped my eyes open, and was met with a pair of bright red eyes. I yelped in surprise, and pulled on my father's hand, but it was too late. The small girl who had argued with mother had yanked him out from under the table. I watched, too terrified to move as she bit into his neck. Blood trickled out from the wound, and I stiffened. His eyes were slowly losing life, but he continued to gaze at me until his struggling under the small girl had ceased. She pulled away from his neck, and I watched as she ran her tongue over the top of her lip, cleaning away any missed blood. I scurried out from under the table, quickly throwing myself into a hidden corner. I turned away from the rest of the room, placing my hands above my head to hide myself. _

_I felt cold hands grip my arms, and lift me effortlessly into the air. I didn't scream, but using all of the strength I had, I pounded hard into his chest. The pain of hitting him was harsh, but I wasn't going down without a fight. He leaned in closer to me, and I looked up for the first time. He was different. His eyes weren't red like the rest of them. They were golden._

_"Shh, you're okay. I won't hurt you. You're safe," he whispered. The words, and his melodic voice poured over my small body. I felt myself relax immediately. He wasn't going to hurt me. I don't know how I knew this, but I just knew. I surrendered, giving up the idea of trying to hurt him, and wrapped my bruised hands around his neck. _

"Ugh," I groaned loudly as the alarm clock knocked me out of my slumber. I had this nightmare often, almost every other night. It wasn't fictional, this was simply a memory of the events that happened that day. Though, this was different. Waking up this morning, I felt .. calm. Usually, I was frantic, trying to erase the memory out of my head as I sat up. I usually never got to the part where Edward saves me; I always wake up after my father gets killed. But just recalling the way he looked at me, made the nightmare end in peace.

I ran a hand over my face, and looked out the window. It was dark, but I could see the heavy raindrops hitting my window. I sighed in content. I had grew very fond of the darkness of Forks. It was comforting, and I was glad to find out that the sun rarely showed his face around here.

I threw the covers off of my sweating body, and twisted so I could place my feet on the ground. The bed creaked in protest, but I ignored it, standing to my feet and stretching my arms out. I crossed the room to my dresser, yanking it open and lazily pulling out a pair of jeans and one of Uncle Tommy's old college sweaters. I gulped as I stared at the piece of clothing. I raised it to my face, and let the sweet aroma fill my nostrils immediately. I couldn't help but smile. Today was going to be a good day.

I rocked back on my heel, moving to exit the room, when I saw it. Sitting on top of the dresser in a neat alignment, was my necklace. His necklace. The ring was unharmed as it hung off of the chain as it always did. I gulped. He was in here. Edward was in my room last night. I felt a cold, eerie shiver run down my spine, but for some reason, I wasn't afraid. No, definitely not afraid. Just merely curious.

I set it back onto my dresser. I quickly showered and dressed, before running a hairbrush through my damp hair. I brushed my teeth, and straightened out my sweatshirt, before entering my room again. I pulled on my shoes, and threw my bag around my shoulder. I took a step toward the door, but stopped. It didn't feel right. Turning around, my eyes caught the necklace.

_He gave it back. He wants you to have it._

That was all the convincing it took. I took the necklace between my fingers and placed it over my head. As if magic, I instantly felt warm. My chest was throbbing, and an odd coat of happiness thicken over me. I sighed, and stared down at the ring for a moment. The white and dark pink jewels sat perfectly against the golden frame. It had to be the most beautiful piece of jewelry of existence, and it was around _my_ neck. Ironic, huh?

I descended the stairs, and entered the kitchen, finding a note from Uncle Charlie that let me know he had already left. I grabbed another cereal bar, and decided to eat it on the go. Climbing in the truck, I let the comfortable smell of rust take over me as I drove in silence to the dread that was Forks High School.

I pulled into a space close to the doors. I exited the truck, not bothering to lock the doors. My truck would be absolutely last on the list of cars to hijack in this parking lot. I kept my head down as I entered the building, praying that Mike Newton wasn't perched against my locker as he was yesterday. Instead, I found someone else.

"Hello Bella."

I looked up, and couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped my lips. He chuckled once, crossing his arms over his chest. He was leaning against the locker next to mine, and from afar, I couldn't help but gape at his beauty. I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't find my voice. I reached up, clutching for the ring around my neck. Once I had it in my palm, I cleared my throat.

"Edward," I squeaked, my voice raised in higher octaves than necessary. The blood rushed to my cheeks as the embarrassment hit me. He took a small step back, his face hard but filled with amusement. I allowed my eyes to drift up towards his face, and I caught his gaze. My body went into shivers of cold pleasure as I saw his eyes. His golden eyes that calmed my nightmares.

"H-How did you- Why- Were, were you-" I stopped myself, feeling idiotic. I gulped, my brain frantically searching for something to say. I wasn't prepared for this. I was prepared to settle for his avoidance and rejection of me. I was prepared to feel like crap every single day, but oh no, I wasn't prepared for _this_.

"How are you?" he asked gently, as if striking up a conversation. _Think of a word. Think of something. Say something._ I gulped once more, and turned my face away from his, immediately missing the topaz color of his eyes on mine.

"Uh, Good. I'm Good. And you?"

I tried to keep myself calm, cool and collected as I jammed my messenger back into my locker. A book that was sticking out caught on the side, and I pushed harder. Nothing. I winded my arm back, and was prepared to slam my entire weight into the damn bag, until a strong, white arm appeared. He gently nudged the bag, and it fell out of it's lock, dropping safely into my locker. I turned to look at him again. He was smiling.

"I'm good as well," he said. I nodded, still amazed by his smile. I looked to the ground for a moment, and felt every emotion I've had about him rush back to me. I snapped my mouth closed, avoiding any embarrassing word vomit that I knew I was very well capable of producing. I closed my eyes, and let myself fall into a place where the words were popping up easily. I let myself go.

"Thank you for the necklace back. I didn't really want to give it up. I just- I just thought that you-"

"I'm very sorry about my behavior. I'm sure you understand why it was necessary," he explained. I rose my eyebrows in confusion, and heard the five minute bell ring. I reached for my Government book. Once I had it in my arms, I turned to look at him again.

"No, I don't. Can you explain why it was necessary?" I asked, finally finding the confidence to speak to him without stuttering. He squinted, his own eyebrow raising. He shook his head, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You know why," he muttered darkly.

"No, I don't. I thought that you would be happy to see me. But instead, you hate me and Alice is pretending that she doesn't remember me!"

I was surprised at myself. Out of all the feelings I wanted to show him, express to him, anger wasn't on the list. But right now, it was the only one that I felt. I turned back to my locker, hastily deciding that I'd work on my creative writing assignment during Government class. I searched my bag, but couldn't find the blank syllabus.

"We wanted you to be safe. I didn't want to risk your life because of what we are. You know that-"

"Stop saying that I know, because I honestly don't!" I yelled in anger, not tearing my eyes from the bag as I tried to find the piece of paper. I groaned in frustration, slamming the bag back in annoyance. This was perfect. My second day at school and I was already losing my assignments. Edward was silent beside me, but I could feel his eyes boring into the side of my face. I looked back up at him in fury.

"And what do you mean what we are?" I spat. _Lie_. I knew he wasn't human. I knew that not only him, but Alice and the entire group of people he sits with at lunch were of the same species as the ones in Italy. But I also knew that he wasn't dangerous. There was something safe about them. It was something big that differentiated them from the others. And I had a hunch that part of the answer is in their golden eyes.

"What are you searching for?" he asked suddenly, watching as I continued to search my locker for the syllabus. He was changing the subject, which I was grateful for. Well, for now.

"My syllabus for Creative Writing class."

"Was it in your bag when you left school yesterday?" he asked. I nodded, but suddenly remembered what had happened yesterday before I left. My bag fell, papers flew out, the wind blew them everywhere. I groaned, and pushed my head against the locker with a small hint of force.

"Great. Just perfect," I muttered to myself. He reached out, and pulled my face away from the locker. I didn't gasp at the cool sensation of his freezing fingers brushing against my forehead. Though I shuddered, I didn't mind it. I closed my eyes, feeling content as his soft fingertips continued to move over my forehead. I opened my eyes to find him smiling softly at me.

"Please don't do anything to harm yourself. I have Creative Writing as well. I will get you another syllabus. Who is your teacher?" he asked, moving his hand. I immediately missed the feel of his fingers against my skin. I gulped, trying to regain my calmness.

"Scortan." He frowned for a moment.

"Hm, I don't have her. But she _is_ very fond of me. I'll be able to get it. What is your assignment?"

"Uhm, mythical creatures. We just have to write about them. I chose vampires," I explained. He stiffened, his entire body went rigid. I was confused as I hesitantly took a step toward.

"What's wrong?" I asked, ducking my head to see his face as he lowered his head. He gulped, and moved backward from me. The familiar feeling of rejection hit me, but I tried my best not to show it.

"So- so your syllabus had your chosen topic written on it?" His voice was demanding, but wary. I nodded, still feeling very confused. He let out a sharp breath that he had been holding in. He lifted his head back up, and gave me another small smile. My knees went weak, and I leaned against the locker to stop myself from wobbling. The warning bell rung, and I winced at the loudness of it.

"I will see you at lunch, Bella."

I blinked once, but he was gone. I clutched at my Government book, trying to conjure up the strength to shut the locker and go to class. But I couldn't. His entire appearance was so quick, so confusing that it left me wondering if it had actually just happened. I closed my eyes once, letting my locker shut as I banged it with my hip. As I walked down the empty hallways, one sentence invaded my head. One simple sentence that he spoke with his incredibly beautiful voice.

_I didn't want to risk your life because of what we are._

_

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_

**Finally, an Edward & Bella confrontation! Haha. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think now that I have them interacting with each other, the words will come easily now for me. Which means quicker updates! Anyway, in my profile, if you click on my_ homepage_ link, it will bring you to a site I created for these stories. It will include images of important objects, people, etc. I only have images of Bella's necklace & Uncle Tommy on it right now, but more will come. If you think of anything else you want a visual for, I will add it! Just keep it mind, the site is nowhere near done. The layout was just a quick, simple thing that I whipped up to put there. It'll look better with time. But yeah, that's it. Review please!**


	9. Safety Is In Your Arms

**Edward.**

Of course, I had over-reacted and jumped to conclusions. I never expected anything less from myself when Bella was involved. Still, I couldn't help but feel an immense amount of relief as I learned the true meaning of the wretched word that had been scribbled across the paper. She was oblivious to our true nature, but I knew I wasn't completely in the clear. She wasn't an imbecile, and she was extremely perceptive. I could tell that she had ideas about what we are, but a _vampire_ wasn't something that crossed her mind.

Gathering my books, I jumped out of my seat just seconds before the sharp bell pierced the room. I was out of the door before anybody else had rose. Normally, I wasn't so careless. I was slow with my movements, charading that I was human. But I had just previously endured three excruciating hours of pointless knowledge that I knew better than that teachers. Usually, it wasn't so bad, it was tolerable. But today, I had a reason to be so anxious. Instead of regularly joining my family's table at lunch, I was going to single Bella out, and I was going to accompany her. If she would have me, that is.

"You're being incredibly foolish, Edward," Rosalie protested, meeting me by the door as I rushed down the busy hallway. I snickered, rolling my eyes as I continued my quick stride. _You're also being incredibly selfish. This isn't all about you._

"Nor is it about you, either. You seem to be the only one with a problem," I muttered angrily, turning down an abandoned hallway. I ignored the lustful whispers of freshmen girls as I passed. This wasn't the first time that Rosalie had tried to persuade my feelings. She constantly explained the dangers of having a close relationship with a human, with implications from both our side, and Bella's. She explained that she was only concerned about the welfare of our family, but I didn't believe one word. She was jealous. Bella had become the topic of interest in the house, and she couldn't stand not having the spotlight.

_She's just a dumb, fragile human. She's not worth it._

I froze, and turned back on my heel. I didn't care about my surroundings as I released a loud growl, taking a menacing step toward her. She didn't flinch, but she took a wary step backwards, her sharp glare never faltering. I shook my head. I'm sure the disgust on my face was obviously evident.

"You truly are pathetic, Rosalie," I spat, before turning around and entering the loud cafeteria. I was grateful when I didn't hear her footsteps behind me. I scanned the overcrowded room quickly, hoping for a glimpse or whiff of my brown-haired beauty. I frowned when I saw no sign of her, but decided to wait. I quietly took a seat at the same table that she had occupied yesterday. My eyes focused intently on the door.

My non-existent heart leapt in excitement when she trudged through the doors. I immediately brightened at the sight of her, but paused, frowning as I examined the scowl that was plastered across her face. That's when I noticed the animated, exuberant blonde boy who was attached to her arm. His mouth was moving quickly, forming fast words that could almost put a vampire to shame. His left hand was clamped onto her forearm, pulling her into the large room after him. A whirlwind of emotions hit me all at once as I watched her plop into a seat at his table. Anger, annoyance, and .. jealousy. This was a vague emotion for me, since I hadn't experienced it in over ninety years. But I was sure of it. I wanted so badly for her to ditch the chatterbox, and join me instead.

As if reading my mind, her head snapped in my direction. Her twinkling brown eyes locked onto mine, and I was a goner. My lips pulled up into a soft smile, as I extended my hand. I wiggled my index finger, motioning for her to come forward. I watched as she gulped, before muttering a quick goodbye to the rest of the table. I had the satisfaction of watching the blonde boy's, I think I recall his name being Mike, face fall.

"Hello," I greeted warmly as she slid into the chair across the table from me. I tried to hide my chuckle as the accelerating of her heartbeat rung loudly in my ear. She took a shaky breath.

"Hi," she muttered, her eyes falling to the wooden table. I frowned, but continued.

"How were your classes?" I asked politely. I was becoming quickly frustrated that her focus of the moment was the table, and not me. She was nervous, I could tell that much. I wanted to fix that. I didn't want to send her into cardiac arrest every time I spoke to her. She took another breath, before shrugging.

"They were fine. Nothing exciting or anything."

I could only smile at the top of her head. The gossiping had already begun, and we'd only been sitting here for a few minutes. I turned my head to glare at the girl behind me. Her hair was a bright shade of blond, almost white. I suppose to the human eye, it would be considered healthy, but the extensive damage of her fried locks were evident to me. Her tan was over the top, pushing her skin tone into a soft orange. _Out of all the girls in the school, he shows interest in her. Ew._ I wanted to laugh at her ridiculous, jealous and pathetic thoughts, but decided against it. She noticed me glaring, and batted her eyelashes, popping a grape into her mouth slowly, miserably failing as being seductive. I coughed loudly, drowning my sudden urge to laugh, and turned back to Bella. She was staring at me curiously.

"Why aren't you eating?" I asked suddenly, finally aware that she only carried books with her. She shrugged again, and I sighed.

"You should eat."

"I'm not hungry. I'll eat a bowl of cereal when I get home," she mumbled, her voice rising. I could hear the frustration that coated it, and mentally scolded myself for being so pushy and obsessive. She smiled suddenly, her eyes squinting playfully.

"Why aren't_ you _eating?" she asked innocently, pursing her lips as she leaned forward. I froze. This girl seriously confused me. If she didn't know, why was she joking around with me as if she did? I gulped, and leaned forward.

"Not hungry," I whispered, grinning at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm so sure," she muttered to herself, leaning back with her arms crossed against her chest. I shifted in my seat, gazing at her with a newfound nervousness. I was torn. Did she know or not? I leaned forward, even closer to her, and I could almost hear the complaints of Rosalie from across the room. I ignored them, watching Bella's eyes widen as I moved closer.

"What do you know, Bella?"

Her eyebrows raised in confusion. She stared at my face for a moment, before shaking her head and snorting.

"Absolutely nothing," she breathed in frustration. "And it sucks," she added quickly. I continued to gaze, looking for any trace of a lie. She didn't seem to mind as she held my gaze, only breaking it to blink momentarily when her eyelids would protest. I watched as she opened her mouth to speak. She took the breath, but with another look at me, she closed it sharply.

Ugh, this would become a regular thing. I could tell.

"What is it?" I asked curiously. She sighed, finally breaking our staring contest to glance at the ceiling. She squinted as her eyes came in contact with the fluorescent lights that aligned the roof, but didn't move her eyes. She opened her mouth again, but closed it seconds after. I groaned.

"Bella, come on, just tell me."

"I just .. I wanted to ask .. where you were?" Her voice squeaked, heightening to a higher volume as she stuttered. "For the past thirteen years?" She lowered her eyes to mine again, but it was my turn for avoidance. I was silent for a minute, trying to formulate a logical answer in my head. Her question had been cautious, and I didn't want to say something that would possibly upset her.

"I've been traveling. Mostly in England, but we settled down in Forks a few years ago," I explained casually, eyeing her reaction. She stiffened, before nodding. She tried to send me a smile, but failed. Her face softened, and she glanced up at me.

"Did you ever try looking for me?"

The question threw me completely off guard. She wasn't asking in an accusing tone. I knew she was merely curious. But I wanted to find a way to express to her that it had been my deepest desire to find her since the day that I had left her there. I couldn't explain to her just how desperate I was to just know where she was. To just know that she was safe and living a healthy, happy life.

I cleared my throat. "Yes."

Her face lit up, and she grinned at me for a second. I held back a gasp as the blood rushed to her cheeks, coloring her creamy, pale skin with a soft crimson shade.

"I had no idea that you were in Michigan. When I arrived back at Lasseter Hills, I was expecting you to be there. When you weren't, I checked the computers and files for the address of the family you had been sent to. But you weren't included in the files. It was as if you weren't even there," I responded, my voice hard but pleading. I didn't want her to believe that I had forgotten her. She nodded, before grimacing. I reached an arm across the table, and took her hand in mine. I waited for a negative reaction, for her to push my hand away or something. But she simply surprised me when she squeezed her warm hand against my iced.

"They took me straight to the police station. I was sent to live with my Uncle Tommy, who was my godfather," she muttered, her eyes falling back onto the table. I could tell that I was approaching dangerous territory, but I couldn't excuse myself from moving forward.

"Was? What happened, Bella?" I asked cautiously, leaning closer to her. Her heartbeat surged forward again, and I winced.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want-"

"It was them, Edward!" she wailed suddenly, snapping her head up. Her eyes were wide, reddening around the rims as moisture leaked through. I watched in pain as the lone tear made a trail down her soft cheek, before dropping onto the table.

"It was who? What's wrong, Bella?"

"The_ bad guys_. Whatever they are, whatever you are!" she exclaimed miserably, pointing a finger at me. My jaw dropped in horror and realization. Of course, she didn't know what we are. But she knew that we were all of the same relation. I opened my mouth to speak, but remembered her words. The bad guys. It had been a term that she frequently used to describe the Volturi.

"They killed him, Edward," she sobbed quietly, dropping her wet face to her hands that were being propped against the tables by her elbows. I swallowed, trying to contain my anger. Though I had my doubts, I believed Bella. The logic of the situation was quite clear now. They had discovered who Bella was. They had remembered her, and they had somehow found her. But this left me confused. If they found her, why hadn't they killed her?

"Did they hurt you at all?" I harshly demanded. She shook her head, before she chuckled bitterly, wiping furiously at the tears that poured from her puffing eyelids. I cursed at the familiar throbbing of my chest. I didn't stop myself as I moved into the seat next to hers. She didn't move, or even react to my sudden seat change. I took a breath, before reaching over to grasp her hand in mine. She looked up at me, her brown eyes screaming at me.

"I'm scared," she whispered. I felt myself breaking apart.

"Don't be," I replied, my voice shaky and uncertain. I was tense, my teeth were gritted together as I seethed in anger. I felt disgust seeping through my body at the remembrance of evening spending a year with those cruel bastards. They were ruining Bella. _My Bella_. They were hurting her. I took another breath, but my entire body shook at the anger. I closed my eyes, hoping the gesture would go unnoticed, but like I said, Bella was always so perceptive.

"Edward?" she asked weakly. I remained silent.

Suddenly, small, warm hands were at my neck. My eyes snapped open immediately when her scent grew closer to me. I gurgled down the venom, trying to ignore the pleading over the monster inside of me. It was screaming for Bella's blood as she locked her arms around my neck. But surprisingly, I tuned it out. The feeling of being in Bella's arms was amazing. It was the best feeling in the world.

But what I found even more amazing, was Bella herself. Even though I was the monster, and she was in pain, _she_ was comforting _me_. It should be the other way around, but I was far too out of control to even convince myself that I was calm. Yet, when her hand moved to the back of my head and began to stroke my hair, I felt everything fall into place. I felt safe with her, and I could tell that she felt safe with me as well.

I didn't hesitate to pull her into my embrace. As we sat, she moved to nestle her face in the crook of my neck. Her delicious scent was screaming to me, but I couldn't even think about that right now. All I could think of was how complete I felt. I leaned down, bringing my lips to Bella's ear. She squirmed at the feeling of my breath against her skin, but didn't move.

"You're safe now. They will never hurt you again." I spoke with confidence. I had never been so sure of my words before, but I knew that I was. I sighed in relaxation, feeling Bella's lips smile against my shirt. I couldn't help but smile myself.

I was still insanely both curious and furious about the Volturi situation, but the interrogation could wait. I could tell that I had opened up fresh wounds, but it was something that I needed to know. I knew that Bella was scared for Charlie more than herself. She wasn't aware of the death sentence I had placed upon her when she boarded that plane. Of course, she would've died anyway. But the Volturi do not take risks. They knew what Bella saw, and that alone should've been enough for them to kill her. But it was sickening to me how they were torturing her, destroying her family before they actual destroyed her. They really were cruel bastards. And I certainly wasn't going to let this continue any further.

I leaned down, and pressed a gentle kiss against Bella's soft hair. I inhaled the sweet scent of the strawberry shampoo, and smiled. Though my throat was burning, scratching raw against my tongue as I fought her tantalizing scent, I continued to nuzzle my nose in her hair. She giggled through her dulling tears, making me laugh heartily. It was hard to believe that just a day ago, we hadn't been on speaking terms. I was surprised it was this easy for me to open her up, but for that, I was extremely happy.

And as the gasps, gossip and rumors began to fly around the room about us, I didn't listen. Their whispers and thoughts were loud to me, but I couldn't hear them. I was focused solely on the soft breathing of the angel that I held, and her steady heartbeat. They were the most musical sounds in the world to me. The murmur of shock was going around the cafeteria, and the eyes of non-believers were intent upon us, but I didn't care.

Right now, Bella and I needed each other. And we had each other.

And that was all that mattered.

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**I might've pushed it a little too quickly, but I don't care. I don't think you guys would want to read pointless chapters of them avoiding each other. I'm pretty sure you all know how that goes by now, haha. Moving on, if you've PMed me lately, and you haven't gotten a response, I apologize! With Christmas & New Years approaching quickly, I'm finding absolutely no time to do anything. Which is probably why I'm straining myself to stay awake at 3:30 AM to write this & post it for you guys. But after January 6, my birthday, I shall be done with all of the excitement, thus meaning faster chapters! Haha anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter! I appreciate all of your reviews & input! :D**


	10. Breaking A Pinky Promise

**Bella.**

Don't get me wrong, I was exceptionally happy about Edward's sudden decision to acknowledge my presence. Sitting with Edward, just _being _with him, made me feel whole. I felt better than I had in years. This was supposed to happen, it was too much of a coincidence. He's supposed to be in my life, and I'm supposed to be in his. I didn't care what he was. I didn't care if he was secretly working with the bad guys in Italy, and was plotting my gruesome death. I owed him my life, considering I wouldn't of had one if it weren't for him in the first place. But that immense gratitude that I felt for him was miniscule compared to the real reason why I was sticking to him like glue.

He had my heart. Every tainted, broken and jagged piece.

I had no expectations or predictions for the future. I knew we weren't going to be together. At least, not in that sense. Though I'm positive that he'd be very successful at fulfilling that kind of happiness within me, I knew that it wasn't in his agenda. He was the picture perfect definition of beauty. Though I knew that whatever he was refrained him from relationships, I knew that he would have no problem in dazzling the prettiest girl in school. Hell, he wouldn't have a problem dazzling a supermodel if that was what he wanted. He had a long list of girls pining for him. Why would I even considered to be chosen from that list?

Besides, I wasn't going to jeopardize our newfound relationship. He had made it very clear that being close to me was something that was hard for him. I was hoping to learn the reasons why within time, but I was taking things slow. Even if I did happen to fall in love with him in the process, which was very, _very_ likely, I wasn't going to act on my emotions. Just having him in my life was fine with me.

"Bella? Did you hear a single thing I've said?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, and turned to Angela, who was staring at me curiously. I cleared my throat, and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. I tend to space out from time to time," I explained, moving some hair out of my face. I glanced up at the clock, and sighed in relief when I realized that we only had five minutes left of class. Then, I glanced down at my half-empty paper and groaned. Well, add that to the hefty list of homework this weekend. Angela only nodded her head once, and smiled.

"Well, I asked if you would mind joining me tonight? I'm driving out to Port Angeles to visit a few stores, and I would very much love the company."

I racked my brain in habit, trying to come up with some reason why I couldn't go. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how childish I was being. It was my third, well .. second day of school here. I needed friends, not mere acquaintances. And Angela had already proved herself to be very entertaining and nice. As long as it was just the two of us, I didn't see the problem.

"Just the two of us?" I checked. She nodded, and I smiled.

"I'll have to ask my Uncle Charlie when I get home, but I don't see why not," I said. She grinned.

"Thank you! Maybe we can catch a movie when we're done as well?"

"Sure, that sounds fun," I replied with as much enthusiasm as her. This was sort of new to me. In Michigan, I had grown up with everybody knowing my story. All of the kids, who had eventually turned into spiteful teenagers, were very well informed of what had happened to my family and I. I was considered a charity case, and I found that the only time they talked to me was when they felt sorry for me. I've never had a close friend that I went out and did stuff with. I was always alone, or with Uncle Tommy. This was a change. A very wonderful, much appreciated change.

The bell rang suddenly, making us both jump in surprise. She stood and slung her bag around her shoulder as I gathered my papers.

"Do you want me to pick you up, or do you want to just meet me there?"

Though I was very elated at the idea of hanging out with her, I did feel more comfortable with my own space. Driving myself there would mean the best of both worlds. I'd get a new friend, and not feel totally uncomfortable. I stood as well, and we crossed the room, stopping when we exited the door. My locker was just down this hall, and her's was around the corner.

"I'll just meet you there. I'll call you when I talk to my uncle," I said, bringing up my hand that held the ripped piece of paper that contained her phone number on it. She smiled, said a quick goodbye, and quick stepped around the corner. I sighed, and turned as well. I was surprised to see Edward leaning against the wall opposite of mine, grinning at me. My heart sped faster. This was going to take some getting used to.

I smiled shyly as I joined him, and we began walking silently down the hall to my locker. I stopped, quickly turning the combination lock and yanking it open. He perched himself next to the locker next to him, and smirked at me. I rose my eyebrows in confusion.

"You just seem very high-spirited," he commented. I couldn't help but smile as my shoulders shrugged.

"I have good reasons to be."

The smile was on his face again but he stayed silent. He watched as I stuffed the books and folders that I needed into my messenger bag. When I was done, I closed it and swung the bag over my shoulder. He kept my slow stride as we entered the blacktop parking lot. I was deliberate in my slow pace, not wanting to part ways with him so quickly. Who knows what his mood could be like on Monday?

The thought made my heart fall a little. I wouldn't be seeing him until Monday.

"So.." he spoke in a conversational tone. "It's Friday night. What kind of exciting activities do you have planned?"

My insides almost melted into jelly. Was he asking me to hang out or something? Maybe I really wouldn't have to wait until Monday. But I saw a car speed out of the parking lot. Ben Cheney's car, with Angela in the passenger seat. _Oh_, Angela. I had plans with her tonight.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked curiously, trying to keep the insanity from showing. He chuckled once, and I frowned when I realized that we had reached my truck. I stalled, stopping by the passenger side door. But he seemed to notice my actions, and opened it for me. He took the bag from me, and gracefully tossed it onto the seat. He then closed the door, and faced me again. I gulped. He was much closer than he was before.

My breathing was becoming erratic as I stared up at his topaz eyes. He looked tortured, as if he were in pain, and the idea was sending unpleasant stings at my heart, making my entire chest throb. I took a step closer, and he grimaced. I frowned as he moved towards the other side of the truck, pulling me along with him. I sighed.

"Just curious. You never answered my question."

"I'm meeting Angela in Port Angeles tonight. We're going to stop at a few stores, and probably catch a movie," I explained, suddenly glum about the fact that I had plans. Maybe if I didn't, he'd want to do something. But I wasn't going to ditch Angela like that. I wasn't going to wreck a perfectly good start of a blooming friendship.

Edward was frowning, his eyes narrowing slightly. I stumbled back a few steps, but he reached out and grasped my elbow, steadying me. I mumbled a small thanks, and opened the door to my truck.

"Two teenage girls roaming the streets of a busy city at night? I don't think I like the sound of that," he grumbled, his tone icy and harsh. I was taken back, but I wasn't going to acknowledge his suddenly hostility. I scrambled into my truck, climbing the big footstep and buckling myself in. I looked at him again when I was finished. It was hard to control the urge to roll my eyes.

"Nothing will happen, stop worrying."

"Do you promise?" he asked, any hint of playfulness gone from his voice. I swallowed my pride. I didn't need any. He simply cared about me. He just wanted me safe, and I couldn't scold him for that. I sighed, and threw him a soft smile.

"I promise," I assured him. The dialogue between us sparked the memory of our goodbye when I was a toddler. It was amazing that I had the mind span to remember things at such a young age, but it was clear in my head as if it had happened yesterday. I reached my hand out, my pinky high in the air. He stared at it for a minute, before his mouth bust out into a wide grin, and he conjoined his cold pinky finger with mine.

"I'll see you soon, Bella."

With that, he was gone. I couldn't erase the silly smile that was plastered on my face. My prediction this morning had come true. Today_ had _been good day. One of the best days of my life.

A few hours later, after I had put together all the necessary ingredients for tacos, Uncle Charlie and I sat at the kitchen table, eating in silence. As I bit into the hard taco shell, the_ crunch _made me wince. I glanced at the clock on the wall. 5:41. Angela was probably getting really anxious. I cleared my throat, placing the taco onto the plate in front of me.

"Would it be okay if I drove out to Port Angeles with my friend Angela to see a movie?" I asked politely. Uncle Charlie stopped mid-bite, and looked shocked. I shrank back in my seat. Maybe I wasn't allowed to hang out with anybody. Maybe he had strict rules or-

"Angela Weber?" he clarified. I nodded, and he smiled.

"Sure, Bells. Just try to be home around eleven, okay?"

I nodded excitedly. Eleven! Wow. I never had a real curfew in Michigan because I never had any real friends to hang out with. But if I went on walks by myself or something, he would always ask me to be home before nine. Eleven was a big adjustment for me, and it was stupid, but I felt more grown up. I quickly jumped out of my seat, scraping the untouched remains of my taco into the garbage can before turning on the sink to wash the rest of the dishes.

"Bella, go out and enjoy your Friday night. You've made dinner all week. I've got the dishes," he proposed. I turned and gave him a skeptical look. He laughed heartily.

"I know how to work the soap and sponge, Bells. Go!" he commanded playfully. I nodded, surprised at the sudden happiness that was overcoming my body. I quickly raced up the staircase, watching my clumsy feet as I went so I wouldn't trip. Spraining my ankle would be the very last thing I needed right now. I grabbed the cordless phone that sat on my desk, and made a quick call to Angela to confirm our plans. We decided to just spontaneously see the movie that was closest to the time we arrived there.

I pulled a white hooded sweatshirt over my t-shirt, before throwing on my sneakers.

"Bye Uncle Charlie!" I yelled as I exited the front door. I heard his faint, gruff goodbye as I closed the door behind me. I shivered. Maybe it was more jacket weather instead of hoody weather, but I didn't feel like turning around and going back upstairs. I rubbed my hands together as I crossed the yard to get to my truck. I entered quickly, sticking the key in the ignition to start it up and let the heat warm over me.

The drive to Port Angeles was long. It was probably about an hour or so, but with only the comfort of the radio and light rain to keep me entertained, it felt like hours. I sighed impatiently as I turned off of the highway, and a bright green sign that said 'Welcome to Port Angeles' came into clear view. I blew out a breath of relief, and pulled out the paper of written directions from Angela. I drove for maybe fifteen more minutes before I saw Angela's petite form standing with an umbrella under a streetlight. I saw her grin as I pulled up. I turned the truck off, and yanked the hood above my head before exiting.

"Where to first?" she asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"You know this place better than I do. I have no preferences. Lead me anywhere."

She smiled, and nodded. We chatted aimlessly for a few minutes, with the occasional awkward silence dropping in a few times. But she'd always find a new topic of conversation to bring up, and I'd fall right back into the comfortableness of being with her. My heart felt lighter than it did in a long time. This was very good for me.

"So, what's up with you and Edward Cullen?"

The sound of his name made me lose my breath. I snapped my head to look at her. She was grinning slyly, her eyebrows wiggling in a suggestive manner. I groaned, and pulled the hood closer to my head. She laughed lightly.

"We all witnessed you two at lunch today. You're the first person he's ever sat with besides his family. Not to mention, you were hugging him!" she exclaimed, like the idea was insane. I shrugged, sighing heavily.

"We have a .. complicated relationship. It's hard to explain," I said, my voice hinting that the subject was better left avoided. She took the hint, and thankfully steered the topic of boys into Ben. I listened as she gushed about her new boyfriend, her cheeks tinting red when she would talk about how romantic he was with her. My heart swelled. I've never been in a relationship, but I was happy that a girl like Angela could find a boy like Ben. They seemed like they really deserved each other.

We had stopped at a few stores on our journey to the movie theater. I was swinging a bag with three new purchased books by my side. Though I was making friends, I found comfort in being alone sometimes. Especially when I had a good book to read. Angela had bought a few as well, along with a few DVDs that she got from an FYE that was along the way.

I had told her about my life in Michigan. Though I felt bad about it, I edited. Majorly. To Angela, my parents had died in a car accident when I was child. I was sent to live with my Uncle Tommy in Michigan, where I had a wonderful life full of loving friends. And to Angela, Uncle Tommy had been in a riot at a heavy metal concert and trampled over. It was a sick lie, but the truth was even sicker.

She was a good listener. She didn't stop to awe, or coo at me when she learned about their deaths. But when I finished with my depressing tale, she spoke no words. She pulled me into a tight hug, and I felt the smile tug on the corner of my lips. When she pulled away, I grinned.

"Thank you," I mumbled. She nodded in understanding.

"So, what movie should we see? It's currently 8:06 and the closest movie is about vampires," she said. I looked up, surprised to see that we were already standing in front of the small movie theater. I nodded.

"That sounds good. Might help with my Creative Writing assignment," I commented as we walked inside.

The movie was awful. The plot was horrible, considering it terribly lacked of one. And it was mainly just blood and gore. In fact, they should've just named the damn movie _Blood & Gore. _It would've been a hell of a lot more appropriate. The vampires in the movie appeared to be human, but when they were killing, their faces were contorted into demon-like appearances. Long, chilling fangs protruded from their gums, always tainted with violent red drops of blood. They were all handsome, and in the movie, many females were lured into secluded places by their seduction. And their strength was incredible. They always destroyed things with their bare hands as the movie dragged on. I sighed. Well, at least I had a few traits to add to my assignment.

Angela was talking animatedly next to me, discussing a particularly gory scene that made her sick. I nodded in agreement, not really paying attention. I had a feeling. It was deep inside of my gut, but I knew it wasn't good. It was the same exact feeling I had before I found Uncle Tommy lying in a pool of blood. Something was going to happen.

"I had fun. We definitely need to do this again!"

I grinned, and shook my head. "Definitely," I agreed. She gave me a quick hug before she jogged down the street towards her car. I sighed as I climbed into my truck. Whatever this feeling was, it wouldn't pass. And as I turned onto the dark highway, it only increased.

And suddenly, I knew why.

I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the large truck that was heading my way. He had his high beams on, and I groaned loudly in protest. I continued with my speed, until a loud _bang_ under the hood of my truck erupted.

Startled by the noise that sounded like a gunshot, my hands jerked involuntarily at the steering wheel. The truck turned sideways, quickly rolling onto it's side. I was frantic as I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt, noticing that the truck, which happened to be a semi wasn't stopping. It's horn was loud against my ears, and I screamed. My only way to get out of the way was to get out of the cab of my truck first. Which at this point, seemed pretty impossible. The only way out was to climb up, and I didn't have enough time.

Hot, terrifying tears rolled down my cheeks as I clamped my eyes shut and waited for the impact of the semi to hit me. My entire life flashed before my eyes, all of the sick and miserable memories that I tried to forget were resurfaced as I was positive this was the ending of my pathetic existence. I listened as the roaring horn of the semi drew closer, along with the sound of screeching tires. Suddenly, I was slammed backwards. I yelped in pain as my head hit the pavement beneath my head. I closed my eyes. This was it.

I was growing weaker and more delusional by the second. I was dying. I had to be.

"Bella, please!"

The voice was desperate, and I knew who it was the second I heard it. My eyelids felt extremely heavy, but I did my best to crack them. Edward's beautiful, pale and horrified stricken face came into view, and I felt better.

If I was dying, this was a good way to go.

"You're okay, Bella. I got you out. You just need to hang in there, okay? Please, Bella!" he begged and urged loudly. I gulped, and mustering up all of the strength I could, I nodded. I heard him laugh once. It was without humor; shaky and nervous. I could tell he was scared.

"God, Bella," he muttered. My sense of everything was growing vague. I was losing consciousness fast. "You promised."

And that was the last thing I heard before the unwelcome slumber pulled me under.

* * *

**Longest chapter yet! I hope you all had good Holidays as I did. I meant to get this written and posted on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, but I was overwhelmingly busy, and couldn't find the time. I hope it was worth the wait, though! Thanks to everyone who has been giving me early birthday wishes. I'll be nineteen next Tuesday. Pretty crazy concept for me to grasp, since I'm such a huge little kid at heart, haha. But yeah, again, I hope you all had wonderful holidays! And I probably won't be able to crank out another chapter before New Years, so an early Happy New Years too! Reviews are always loved & appreciated! Thanks! :D**


	11. The Stranger Who Listened

**Edward.**

The needle on the speedometer couldn't proceed any farther, and as the car dashed at a frightening speed down the curvy road, I felt the same. Bella's heart, though still beating, was growing fainter as the excruciating minutes passed. I threw another frantic glance at her unconscious, fragile body that was nestled into the safety of the backseat. The slow movements of her breathing had rendered weak as well, causing a terrifying feeling of panic to spread over me.

"Damnit Bella, hang on," I muttered weakly as I quickly turned the car into the parking lot of the hospital. The tires protested loudly, squealing against the cement of the road as I pushed harder on the gas. Carlisle was standing under the emergency patient entrance. The yellow lights of the carport were the only thing keeping him in my eyesight, the fluorescent lighting illuminating against his pale white skin. His usually gentle, smiling face was contorted into one of worry as he stepped forward when the car pulled up beside him. Without waiting for my approval, he yanked the backdoor open, pulling Bella gently into his arms. He laid her on top of the stretcher that sat next to him, before rushing into the doors, with me following quickly behind.

I watched helplessly from the entrance of the room as Carlisle and three female nurses tended to Bella. Once the heart monitor was in tact, I cringed. It was hard enough to listen to the abnormally slow rhythm of the dull beats, but to hear it through frustrating beeps as well?

I was on the verge of losing my sanity. Very, very quickly.

_Edward,_ Carlisle's voice through my head made me snap my eyes up toward him. His hands were raised in front of him in horror. Covering patches of the skin on his palms, was crimson red blood. Bella's blood. I stiffened, and turned away from him, closing my eyes tight. _How did you withstand being around her? She's already lost so much blood. _

I wasn't sure how to answer that, because I didn't know how I had done it either. Thinking back to the short amount of time spent in the car, due to my excessive speeding, I _was _aware that there had been the raw, scathing and burning pain that I had grown so accustomed to when around Bella. But I was appalled with myself that I had the immense strength it took to resist the calling of her blood. I just didn't know where the intense resistance had come from.

_This isn't looking too good._ I froze. The negativity of the nurse's thoughts were painful. I took a deep breath, and turned around. Carlisle's eyes were burning into my face, reading me for a proper reaction. I gulped, allowing him to see a small portion of my fear. It wasn't anywhere as close to how terrified I really was, but it was satisfying enough for him. _Go in the waiting room. I'll come and get you when we're finished._

Though I wanted to protest, I didn't. I didn't want to risk my thirst with Bella in the room. I nodded silently and turned on my heel, exiting the room as quickly as possible. I decided to remain in the waiting room on the fifth floor, as far away from Bella's scent as I could be. I ignored the elevators, and ascended the four sets of staircases, three steps a time. As I was reaching the entrance to the waiting room, my phone began vibrating in my pocket.

"Alice?" I answered. I heard the light chatter of my family members in the background. Emmett's booming voice stood out from them all as he complained loudly about something.

"Edward, she's going to be fine. I had a vision. She'll be awake within the next few hours," she announced excitedly. A spark of relief ignited in my chest, where my heart used to be. I exhaled, breathing out every ounce of tension, misery and fear that I had felt before.

"Thank you, Alice. Can you give me an exact time, please?" I asked politely. I heard her giggle lightly on the other end of the line. I rolled my eyes.

"Anxious, are we?" she joked. I opened my mouth to argue, but her tinkling laugh cut me off. "I'm kidding, Edward. She'll open her eyes in three hours, and twenty-six minutes."

I smiled hopefully as I sat down in a teal cushion chair. I rested my elbows on my knees as one hand held the phone to my ear, while the other rubbed my temples gently. _Oh wow, he is gorgeous._ I sighed in annoyance and kept my head down to ignore the young nurse who ogled me as she passed.

"I will be there soon. The others are going to hang around here. They don't want to overwhelm Bella when she wakes up. Bye!"

I closed the flip-phone and shoved it back into my pocket. I looked at the clock. It was ten minutes after midnight. I leaned my head against the back of the chair, and let my eyelids fall. It was times like these that I wished I still had the ability to sleep. It would be so easy to just close my eyes, drift into a dream world and ignore the harsh truth of the reality around us. It would be so easy to imagine a beautiful, happy, _healthy_ Bella. But considering that I haven't slept in over 90 years, the image of her bleeding in the hospital bed was stuck in my head. The image of her horrified face as she watched the semi-truck move closer to her truck. I hissed sharply, trying to stop my mind from reliving those few minutes.

It in those few minutes that I considered doing the one thing I secretly and selfishly desired. It was the one thing that I would absolutely never allow, but it was something that I couldn't help but think about. Biting Bella would guarantee that she'd be a part of my life forever. And that sounded pretty damn comforting. But taking her life away, damning her to this hell was out of the question. She was much too precious to become a monster.

Yet, when I had grabbed her from the cab of the flipped over truck, I was tempted. The idea of her being a monster wasn't half as bad as the idea of her being deceased. I hissed again. I don't know how to explain the hold that she has on me, but it's there. After just setting my eyes upon her as a small child, she had me amazed. And now, it was just as bad. I couldn't stay away, no matter how beneficial it was for her health. I was hopelessly attached to the very idea of her. It was a bit ridiculous, but I wouldn't trade it for any feeling in the world.

"Edward."

I opened my eyes, looking directly at Carlisle. I glanced at the clock again, and frowned. It was 2:24. I wasn't aware that I had been sitting there that long. _Would you like to see her before I call Chief Swan?_ Without hesitation, I nodded. I didn't wait for him to speak as I dashed past him and down the flights of stairs. I couldn't get to her room fast enough.

When I reached her room, Alice was already there. She was sitting in the chair across the room from Bella's bed. I was relieved to hear the annoying beep and musical thump of Bella's heart rhythm back to normal. Alice noticed my facial expression, and grinned from her spot on the chair.

"Gave us quite a scare, didn't she?"

I didn't speak, but she took my silence as an agreement. I moved forward, hunching over the bed to look down at her. Though this wasn't the way I wanted to see her, it was definitely refreshing from the wounded, bloodied Bella I had last seen. The cuts that previously covered her face had been cleaned and stitched. Her face wasn't contorted in agony, and her small, fisted fingers were now uncurled in a lulling peace. I took a breath, and smiled. I couldn't help myself as I moved even closer. I leaned down, my face inches from her. Though my throat was itching, and Bella's blood was screaming for me, I was never more in control of _that _in my entire existence. I inhaled, her deliciously sweet scent hitting me like a ton of bricks. I gulped, but didn't falter my actions. I closed my eyes, and pressed my lips to her warm forehead. Bella stirred, whimpering softly, before turning her head.

"She'll be awake in one hour. Stop attacking her forehead, and come sit down," Alice ordered, joking as she cracked a smile. I pulled myself away from Bella's bedside, and chuckled as I occupied the chair next to Alice. _Chief Swan will be here in twenty minutes. I don't think he'll be leaving tonight._ I glanced at Alice, questioning her with my eyes. She shrugged.

"I don't care. I'm not leaving either."

She smiled, and opened her mouth to say something. Bella whimpered softly again, and we both turned to watch her. She was opening her mouth, breathing heavily. I was confused, rising from my seat, but Alice pulled me back down.

"She's been doing this for awhile," she explained in a soft voice. I sighed, but nodded. She was probably having a nightmare, and I couldn't do anything to help. Well, I guess sleep doesn't_ always _have its luxuries.

"Felix."

I snapped my head back towards Alice, who was staring wide-eyed at Bella. Who the hell was Felix, and why was Bella muttering his name in her nightmare? My insides fell as the idea of it being a _good_ dream crossed my mind. I suddenly wished Jasper was here, so he could explain her emotions. Was she scared of this Felix character? Was she happy with him, or .. in love with him?

"That's a first," Alice commented, still staring blankly at her.

"Felix .. sorry," she murmured, twisting in her bed again. I gulped, trying to rid myself of the ridiculous emotions. Bella was gorgeous, she was the most beautiful girl in existence. _Of course_, she probably had boys lined up for her in Michigan. But still, I remembered how ecstatic and alive I felt, hearing Bella murmur _my_ name in her sleep. Hearing another name from her lips was pretty hard to endure.

"Don't overreact, Edward. Felix could be her dead dog or something," Alice suggested. I glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. She was right, though. I did say that I had a slight tendency to react harshly with all things considering Bella.

I sat still in the chair. Alice, thankfully, was gracious enough to hum a soft piano tune in her head for me. Every now and then, I would send her a generous smile, and she'd move on to a different one. But my eyes were concentrated on Bella. I was staring at her, analyzing every movement, every twitch of her fingers, every facial expression. Everything. It was astounding how mesmerizing and fascinating one girl could be.

Bella took a breath, and I watched as her lips tugged upwards. A small, but obvious smile crossed her features, before she opened her mouth once more. I frowned, and closed my eyes, waiting for her to say_ his _name again.

"Edward," she hummed softly. I froze, and my eyes opened quickly, thinking maybe she was awake. But she wasn't.

Still laying peacefully, unaware of her surroundings, she slept. The smile was still on her face, and my name was still hanging on her lips. I grinned. Hands down, best feeling in the world. Alice giggled softly next to me, and I threw another smile in her direction. Suddenly, she stiffened, and sat up-right. I put a concerned hand down onto her shoulder, and she sighed in what seemed like relief.

"Charlie is in the lobby on the first floor. He'll be up here in two minutes."

I nodded, but didn't move. Alice, however, stood. She gave me a sheepish grin, before shrugging.

"I came to see Bella, and I seen her. I stayed to keep you company, but you won't be alone anymore. I'll just be going now," she explained. I nodded, and crossed my arms over my chest, awaiting Charlie's arrival. Alice was half-way out the door, before she stuck her head back in. "Oh, and Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Pretend like you're sleeping. It'll save you a lot of unnecessary trouble."

I nodded again, and let my shoulders slouch. I slumped my body against the wall beside my chair. Once I heard Charlie's gruff voice from down the hall, Carlisle's thoughts and both of their heavy, quick footsteps, I shut my eyes. I let my chest rise and fall to keep up the appearance of slumber. The door slammed open, and Carlisle's hushed pleas for Charlie to keep quiet followed after. I could almost hear the disapproval in his eyes as I knew they were set on me.

"Who is he?" Charlie demanded quietly. Carlisle sighed.

"That's my son, Edward. He's the one that found Bella, and pulled her out before the truck struck her," Carlisle explained. _He's lightening up. I'm no Jasper, but the gratitude is plain on his face._ It was hard to keep from smiling, but I managed.

"What is he doing here? You can send him home now." _Well, you've got gratitude, Edward. But not approval. Definitely not approval._ I took another deep breath, trying to keep myself from laughing.

"He and Bella are friends at school. He was very worried, and wouldn't leave until he saw her. So I let him stay. I don't think it'll be wise to make him go home now. I'm sure Bella will want to see him as well," Carlisle tried to reason. I listened as Charlie took a breath, probably prepared to argue, but the squeak of his boots told me that he had turned. I heard the sound of his sharp breath. He had seen Bella.

"Oh, Bella," Charlie muttered, his tone low and frustrated. "This is my fault. I bought her that piece of shit of truck. It's so _old_, but I thought- I just thought .." he trailed off, his voice breaking as his sentence deteriorated.

"It's not your fault, Chief Swan. These things just happen. Nobody was to blame for this, it was just an unfortunate accident. But luckily, Bella escaped with minor injuries. Her leg is broken, and she'll have to wear a brace. Also, she hit her head pretty hard. We stitched up the gash, but I'm going to have to put her on medication as well." I stopped listening as Carlisle further explained the extent of Bella's damages. _Minor_? I don't think so._ Any _damage to Bella is major.

Carlisle left the room a few minutes later, after being paged by a nurse, leaving just Charlie and I alone in the room. I was still continuing my charade, pretending to sleep. I shifted uncomfortably every once and awhile, letting Charlie see that I was still alive. I could feel his eyes on me at times, burning into my face as he was probably glaring at me. Other times, I would hear him sigh loudly, and knew he was concentrating solely on Bella.

After about a half an hour, he moved in his seat. I listened to the squeak of his boots against the tiled floors, as he walked closer to the direction of Bella's bed. He was breathing heavily, and I heard the small, soft of the smack of his lips against Bella's skin.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee, Bells. You better be awake when I come back. I can't stand seeing you like this," he joked, but I heard the pain in his voice. I waited until I heard the door close behind him, before I opened my eyes. I smiled at the sight of Bella. She was exactly the same as when I first closed my eyes. I stood, crossing the room to stand beside her bed. I hesitantly extended my arm, and let my cold fingers brush against her forehead, running along some of the stitched cuts.

Her eyes flew open.

She startled me, and I stared at her, bewildered, before breaking out into an exuberant grin. I inhaled a deep breath, trying to control the emotions of happiness and relief that I was feeling.

"Hello, sleepyhead," I greeted, smiling down at her. She stared up at me in curiosity, her big brown eyes blinking as she studied my face. I cocked my head to the side, and let my fingers run across her cheekbones. Her eyes closed for a moment, but she pushed her face closer into my hand. I sighed in happiness.

"What- what happened?" she gurgled. I knew that it would be wonderful to hear her voice after enduring these hours without it, but wow, the feeling was astonishing. I racked my brain quickly, trying to form coherent sentences, but I couldn't take my eyes off of hers. Her eyebrows rose, as she waited patiently for my answer. I pressed my lips together, and leaned closer to her.

"What happened was .. you broke my promise. A pinky promise, for that matter!" I exclaimed playfully. Her eyebrows burrowed in confusion for a moment, but soon followed with a look of realization. She grinned, and it took my breath away.

"I'm sorry. I'll think about your feelings the next I'm about to be plowed by a truck," she commented dryly, but the humor was evident in her voice. I gave her another grin, before leaning down and pressing another soft kiss to her forehead. She looked up at me, shocked.

"You better," I warned, trying to keep my tone menacing. She laughed, but it quickly turned into a wince. During Carlisle's rant of Bella's injuries, he had mentioned bruised ribs. I placed a cold hand over her torso, and she relaxed immediately under my touch. The heart monitor, on the other hand, came to life in a series of half-second beeps. I laughed heartily, stepping away from her.

"Are you in pain? How are you feeling?" I asked quickly, my finger ready to press the call button for Carlisle. She shook her head frantically.

"Don't you dare! I know any minute, a doctor will come rushing in here and will drug me up with something that will turn me into a blubbering idiot. If you value my self-pride in the least, allow me to enjoy these few sane minutes in peace!"

I threw my head back and laughed again. I obliged to her request, lowering my hand from the button. Carlisle would hear us in a matter of minutes anyway. Too bad for her self-pride. After I had stopped laughing, I glanced at her. Now that she was awake, I was extremely curious .. well, more like demanding .. of who this Felix character was. I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling nervous. I didn't want to sound like a jealous boyfriend.

"Bella, you don't have to answer if you don't wish to .. but, will you tell me who Felix is?" I asked, locking my eyes onto hers. She froze, and was silent for a minute, before she gulped. She bit her bottom lip.

"Did I mention his name in my sleep?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"He was my friend back in Michigan. Well, we weren't exactly friends. But he was the closest thing I had to one. When I'd go on walks, we'd always meet up at the park. He always listened to what I had to say, and I did the same for him. After my Uncle Tommy died, I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. When I thought I was going to .. die, his face was one of the few that I saw," she explained. My face fell, but before I had the chance to regain my calmness, Bella had noticed. She snickered softly.

"Of course, nothing compares to the face that topped everybody else's. The face that was _really_ there when I opened my eyes," she murmured. She lifted her fragile arm to me, and I knew what she wanted. I grasped her hand, and brought it to my lips. I kissed each bruised knuckle gently, before smiling down at her.

"And this Felix .." I began to press, but I heard Charlie down the hall.

"Brace yourself. Your Uncle has been very patient," I warned her with a devious smile. She groaned, and reached back up for the hand that I had pulled away from her. The door opened suddenly, and Charlie's crest-fallen face brightened immediately when he saw his niece awake and grinning.

"Hi Uncle Charlie," she greeted happily as he set his coffee down and dashed over to her bed, gathering her small body up into his arms and squeezing her tight. She groaned in protest, and I put a hand on his shoulder. I may regret it later, but I couldn't stand here and allow him to harm Bella.

"Bruised ribs, remember?" I asked, smiling sheepishly. He stared at me for a second, blinking quickly. I sighed, waiting for his wrath. Instead, I got a slap on the shoulder. He smiled, and nodded once, before leaning down to embrace Bella again. While his arms were still around her, he lifted his head. His lips moved upwards in an awkward smile, while he mouthed the words 'thank you.' I returned the smile, and decided to let them have their privacy.

As I exited the room, my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, and without glancing at the caller ID, pressed it to my ear.

"Alice?"

"Edward, they're here."

"Who's here, Alice?" I asked, suddenly concerned. She sounded breathless, rushed and worst of all .. scared.

"The Volturi. Well, one of them. I don't know which one because their face was hidden, but I know why they're here. They said her name!" she exclaimed, suddenly frantic. Anger- oh, the familiar anger that I have come to hold for these vile disgusting wastes of space, was rising once again. I took one sharp breath, before allowing myself to speak. I didn't recognize my own voice for a moment.

"Please don't say it, Alice."

She sighed heavily on the line, before saying the_ one _name that made me lose all control of anything logical.

"Bella."

* * *

**I know I'm a little late, but Happy New Years! I hope you all got your party on. I know I sure did. :D Anyway, this is the longest chapter I've ever written for anything. Seven pages! I don't know why, but I just couldn't seem to find a good place to stop, and when I _did_ find a good place, I didn't want to stop, haha. But I'm sure none of you are complaining about that. I'll try to make all my chapters this long from now. Review, please! Let me know what you think! I always get more motivation to write when I have more input & encouragement! Thanks! :D**


	12. Cherry Red Happiness

**Bella.**

_"You fascinate me, Bella Swan."_

_I dipped my head, tucking my chin under my jacket as the dreaded shade of pink tinted my cheeks. I could feel the heat rushing to my face, and a small part of me had to resist the strong urge to giggle shamelessly. I heard his feet shuffle loudly against the cement beneath the bench, and my head immediately whipped up in fear that he might be leaving. Instead, he stood in front of me, grinning. I sucked in my breath, and returned it._

_"You- you fascinate me too," I mumbled, returning my gaze to the sidewalk. I heard his husky chuckle, before he sat back down next to me. He inhaled sharply, and I glanced up at him through my eyelashes._

_"So, where is your boyfriend tonight, Miss Swan?" he joked, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. I rolled my eyes._

_"I've told you countless times before, Felix, I don't have a boyfriend."_

_His grin grew. _

_"I don't believe you. There has to be somebody that has caught your eye. Who is the lucky young man?" he prodded, his strange accent growing heavier. I squinted in confusion. Since the day we had met, he had begun to speak to me in this horrible false American accent. I had been meaning to ask where he was from, but he always expertly directed the conversation back to me. I sighed, and let his question sink in. Of course, somebody had caught my eye. Oh, who was I kidding? He didn't just have my eyes, he had my heart. He had all of me. But he didn't even know. _

_"There is .. somebody. But it's complicated. I haven't seen him in a really long time," I explained softly, not able to restrain the frown that fell upon my lips. His grin drew into a sympathetic smile, and I could almost see his eyes soften from under the shades of his sunglasses. _

_"What happened?"_

_"He .. had to leave me. He didn't want to, but it was inevitable, I guess," I concluded, trying to edit the story to the best of my abilities. I lifted my head, and through the shield of brunette wisps of hair that I had set up, I saw his head cocked in my direction. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or not, the darkness of the shades prevented me from doing so. He heaved a comforting sigh, but didn't touch me. That was something that was I always grateful for. I could talk with Felix without physical contact, which tended to invade my personal space and make me uncomfortable. Felix was respectable, and didn't push anything. He was the only decent boy I have met in awhile._

_"What was his name?" he suddenly asked, curiosity evident in his tone. My heart panged at the thought of his name leaving my lips, but I let it slip anyway._

_"Edward. It was Edward," I answered, and the image of his flawless face immediately surfaced inside of my head. I gulped, bringing my hand to my mouth, my elbow resting on my knee. I raised my knuckles to my mouth, as if blocking my lips from speaking any further information that might cause me future emotional distress. Felix sat silent from beside me, and I turned to study his reaction._

_His mouth was open slightly, gaping silently at something. I squinted, and shifted so that I was leaning closer to him. I pulled my hand from my face, and extended it toward Felix's shoulder. He jumped up hastily._

_"I must be going. I will see you soon, Bella."_

_With that, he disappeared into the green depths of the forest ahead of us._

My eyes shot open, and I took a steady breath. This was probably my millionth time waking up in this room, and I hated it. I had been here for five days, and was beginning to grow ridiculously impatient. Edward and Uncle Charlie had been here for the entire five days, staying with me in shifts until I fell asleep. It was another thing that I felt was unnecessary, but I didn't mind the company. The white of these walls were enough to drive me insane.

Somebody cleared their throat from the left side of me, and I yelped in surprise. I snapped my head around, and emitted a startled gasp as I saw Alice sitting in a chair beside my bed. She was smiling soundlessly at me from the comfort of her chair, not moving an inch. I sighed, and lowered myself back into my comfortable position in the hospital bed.

"How are you feeling today, Bella?" she asked politely in a conversational tone. The heart monitor was beeping loudly and quickly from my other side, due to my recent fright. She paid no attention as she continued to smile at me. I shrugged my shoulders, raising a hand to rub my eyes sleepily.

"Okay, I guess. I'd feel a lot better if I weren't in this stupid building anymore," I suggested, craning my neck to glance innocently at her. She giggled, and shook her head, pursing her lips at me.

"Nice try, Bella."

"Darn. Had to give it a shot," I cursed quietly, causing her giggles to increase. I couldn't help but crack a smile, finding that her laughter was definitely infectious. Once she had calmed herself down, I sighed again. I leaned back on the bed, resting my head on the cushiony pillow. I turned to look at Alice, who was still fixated on me.

"Not that I mind you being here or anything, but where is Edward?" I couldn't help but ask. Though I was extremely gleeful that she had decided to visit, I was a little disappointed to not wake to Edward's brilliant face as I had been for the past two days. She grinned brightly at me.

"He went _out _to eat with the family," she explained sheepishly. I rolled my eyes at her humor. I still hadn't figured out exactly what the Cullen's were, but I knew that their diet wasn't one of human food.

"Whatever you say, you comedian, you," I mumbled, and she laughed heartily. I gulped, and studied Alice once more. Her dark spiky short hair was flaring out, and my eyes followed every direction that they curled in. Her short bangs hung neatly above her cropped eyebrows. A small smudge of light brown eye shadow was shaded across her eyelids, making her sparkling topaz eyes illuminate even more. It amazed me that somebody could be so stunning, and so nonchalant about it. I gulped, and opened my mouth, hesitant to ask the question that tingled at the very tip of my tongue.

"Alice .. can I ask you something?" I asked, suddenly feeling very nervous and inferior to her. This was the first interaction that we have had since the cafeteria when I had hastily and childishly fled lunch. I was surprised with myself that I had kept this question inside this long into the conversation. I watched as she nodded. I cleared my throat.

"Did- do you .. do you honestly not remember me? Not even at all?"

I winced at how pathetic and needy I sounded, but at the moment, that was exactly how I was feeling. Though my experience with Alice as a toddler wasn't quite as memorable and strong as Edward's, I still feel the same desperate connection with her as I do with him. She was very important to me, and though I couldn't quite figure out _why_, I didn't care.

"Oh, Bella. Of course I remember you. I couldn't forget you even if I wanted to. The entire memory-loss charade was motivated by Edward. He likes to make things a lot more complicated than they need to be. I'm sure you know that by now," she explained softly, adding a small roll of her eyes. I couldn't help but smile, agreeing silently with her.

"G-good. I had hoped that I wasn't so easily forgettable. I know you've probably rescued tons of other little girls just like me, and-"

"Oh _gosh_, what are you ranting about, Bella? Edward and I don't get our jollies by picking up clumsy little girls like _you_. That was strictly a one-time thing. You should feel honored," she joked. I leaned back further onto the pillow, and laughed, my face tinting red with my embarrassed blush. I heard the beeps of the heart monitor start to accelerate once more, and I smiled. My heart had a reason to beat quickly. _I was happy_.

"Now, I have a question for _you_."

I looked up at her again, my eyebrows burrowing in curiosity. She leaned closer to me, her eyes narrowing.

"Just how close were you and this Felix?"

The question threw me off guard, and I choked on nothing. I coughed and sputtered, trying to clear my head of the instant alarm at the sound of his name. She sat back patiently, waiting for me to stop freaking out. I let my hand pat my chest lightly, trying to stop the dry itch that now irritated my throat. I opened my mouth questionably at Alice, and she shrugged.

"I've heard about him from Edward. And you were speaking about him in your sleep earlier," she explained. I groaned. My lack of conversation always seemed to catch up with me in my slumber. I hated it. She cleared her throat, and I frowned.

"I asked- how close were you and Felix?" she repeated. I sighed, feeling uncomfortable talking about my past friendship.

"I don't know. Kind of close, I guess," I hinted, but it sounded more like a question. She raised her eyebrows, and leaned even closer to me. I watched as she gulped and stiffened. Her chest stopped moving, and she stopped breathing. I opened my mouth to question the gesture, but she cut me off.

"Close enough for him to .. _follow_ you here?"

I choked again, throwing my head in her direction as if she were mental. My eyes were wide with fury and unnecessary worry.

"What? No! Definitely not!" I exclaimed loudly. She leaned back, satisfied with my answer. "Why are you two so interested in him anyway? He was just an acquaintance in Michigan. Geesh," I muttered. She sighed, but didn't answer my question. She stiffened again, and her golden eyes glazed over for a second. Then she smiled, and rose from her spot at the chair.

"Chief Swan is coming down to spring you from this joint," she said in an amused voice. I rose my eyebrows.

"How could you _possibly_ know that? You've been sitting here with me and-"

"He told me earlier, and I forgot. Just accept the good news and get yourself situated to leave," she instructed, before looking down at the watch that sat upon her dainty wrist. "He should be here any minute."

I watched soundlessly as she crossed the room. She turned and gave me a good-bye smile, before exiting. I sighed, and ran a hand through my tangled mess of hair. I glanced at the tray next to my bed, and sighed in pleasure when I saw that Alice must've left me a hairbrush. I picked it up and brushed out the knots. I matted it down. I'm sure it didn't look so good, but it was presentable, at least. As if on cue, Uncle Charlie and Doctor Cullen entered the room.

"Come on, kiddo. Let's get out of here!" he exclaimed, more excited than I was. I grinned at him, and escaped into the bathroom to change into the pair of jeans and t-shirt that he brought for me. When I was finished, I looked down at myself and grinned in relief. The hospital gowns weren't very attractive. This was a nice change. I followed Uncle Charlie as we wobbled down the halls, into the necessary elevators and into the lobby. He was moving fast, anxious to be away from the hospital, just as I was, but he cautious of my casted leg and crutches.

I sat in one of the comfortable waiting room chairs while he signed papers, and he continued to help me wobble to his police cruiser. I sighed. I would be without transportation since the recent death of my beloved truck. Uncle Charlie must've noticed the sadness on my face, for he slapped a gentle hand onto my shoulder as he helped me maneuver into the passenger seat.

"I've got a surprise waiting for you back at home," he explained, grinning at me before grasping my crutches and closing the door. I watched curiously from the window as he shoved them into the backseat, and jogged quickly to his side.

The ride back to the house was quick. Uncle Charlie, though the chief of police in this dreary town, was going above the speed limit. I didn't miss the look of excitement and anticipation that he wore as he gripped the steering wheel happily.

"Are you really_ this _excited for me to be back? How did you even survive before I came?" I pondered, tapping my chin in wonder. He laughed gruffly, but only pushed further on the gas, making the car hurl forward. I sighed in comfort when we pulled down our street. I sat up in my seat, wanting a view of the house that I had been deprived of the past week. In the front yard, I saw two figures. My heart immediately jumped at the thought of it being Edward and Alice.

We moved closer, and I frowned. Instead of the two graceful, beautiful people I had grown so attached to, were two people that I had never seen before in my life. The eldest one sat in a wheelchair, with a cowboy hat laying oddly upon his head. He wore an eccentric, colorful sweater jacket that had outrageous patterns scrawled across it. The second one was young. He looked around my age. Like the older one, he had long black hair. He wore a tight fitting black t-shirt with a pair of jeans. They were both tan, their skin lighter in contrast to their hair. They were grinning as Uncle Charlie pulled the cruiser into the driveway.

"Who are they?" I whispered as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He chuckled once, before jumping out. He ran around the side of the car, grabbing my crutches before returning to help me.

"Your welcoming committee," he joked as I had a steady grip on the crutches. Both men immediately sprang to my side, the younger one pushing the guy in the wheelchair. They both smiled at me, and I nodded in acknowledgement, feeling a bit odd.

"Bella, this is my best friend, Billy Black and his son, Jacob. He's a year younger than you," he introduced. I nodded politely, and held my hand out to Billy. He shook my hand warmly, before letting it go. I gave it to Jacob, who gripped it tightly and shook it with extreme enthusiasm.

"Jacob, watch your grip. I don't think Bells wants to be returning to that place anytime soon," Uncle Charlie said, making Jacob laugh loudly. I was surprised at his apparent joy, but found it quickly contagious. I grinned at the both of them before clearing my throat.

"It's nice to meet you both," I mumbled, keeping the smile on my face. They nodded, and for a few seconds, there was an awkward silence. Jacob broke it, jumping suddenly.

"Oh! Charlie, did you want to give her that gift now?"

I frowned, but didn't get a chance to protest. Jacob grabbed one of my shoulders, and was helping me cross the yard to where an obvious vehicle sat hidden in the driveway under an obnoxious blue cover. I rolled my eyes, glancing in Uncle Charlie's direction.

"Gee, wonder what _that _could be. I'm guessing a puppy?" I asked sarcastically. He laughed, before he and Jacob stepped forward to pull the cover off. I gasped at the truck that sat in front of me. It was a glossy shade of cherry red, with a spacious backseat in the cab and a large bed. I felt an immediate pull towards the vehicle, and let out an excited squeal. I quickly slapped a hand over my mouth, embarrassed by my sudden outburst. I moved to push myself closer to the truck, but couldn't go fast enough. Uncle Charlie was by my side in an instant, and I threw my hands around his neck.

"It's beautiful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed. He laughed, and pressed a soft kiss to my temple, before helping me into the front seat of the truck. Jacob was already seated in the passenger seat, grinning at me. I glanced at him, before exploring the dashboard of the truck. I inhaled the fresh scent of the truck, and smiled.

"What is it?"

"2000 Dodge Dakota. It's used, but you shouldn't have any problems with it." I nodded, and ran my hand appreciatively over the radio.

"It's gorgeous," I mumbled, mostly to myself. He laughed, nodded his head in agreement. "Did you hook Uncle Charlie up with this?" I asked curiously. I turned in my seat to look at him. The smile was still plastered on his face, and I soaked up his happiness.

"Nah, he got this from a dealership in Seattle. We hooked you up with the other hunk of junk that you had. I worked on that thing for months. I was glad to see it go when you got here."

"So, does that mean I can hold you responsible for my accident?" I asked, but the playfulness was obvious in my question. He cracked a grin, but I saw the guilt on his structured face. I immediately felt bad for assuming and joking about that. I reached a hand out, and placed it on his shoulder. He snapped his head up to me, his hair moving furiously out of his face.

"I do feel really lame about that. I could've sworn that I tightened the-"

"I was kidding. The thing was ancient. It was bound to happen, don't worry about it," I pleaded, and he nodded, grinning. I sighed in relief as he fell back into his normal happy stance. I turned to look out the window, and noticed that Uncle Charlie and Billy were no longer in the front yard. I raised a questioning eyebrow to Jacob, and he chuckled, reaching for the handle of the truck.

"They've probably found their places in front of the TV, and cracked open their brewskies already. There's a game on in ten minutes, you know," he reminded me, and I laughed. He left the truck, closing the door behind him. I opened my own door, giving the inside of the truck one more loving glance before shifting to jump out. Jacob was standing before me, holding his arms out. He was gentle as he carefully slipped his strong arms under my forearms, and pulled me out of the truck. For a second, I felt odd. Jacob was unusually warm, just like Edward as unusually cold. It didn't feel right being enveloped in_ his _embrace. He set me on my feet, before hurriedly grabbing my crutches. I smiled at him thankfully, and turned to wobble up the sidewalk leading to my front porch.

Jacob suddenly growled, making me jump in surprise. I gulped, raising a hand to my chest as my heart began to race. I turned to scold him for frightening me, when I saw he was staring at something by the trees across the street. I squinted, trying to see, but I couldn't.

"What is your problem?" I demanded, taking a hesitant step forward. He growled, and put an arm out in front of me. I stared in the direction again, and could vaguely make out a figure walking towards us. Jacob moved in front of me, almost protectively.

"Who is it, Jacob?"

He didn't answer, but growled again. I was growing impatient, and craned my head around to look over his arm. Jacob noticed my movements, and sighed angrily.

"Friend of yours?" he spat at me, his glare never moving from the graceful figure that seemed to float closer to us. For the second time today, my heart jolted awake at the idea of it being Edward. It would be extremely nice to see him, seeing as he hadn't come to visit today. I've decided awhile ago that there was a certain length of time that I could go without seeing him, before I went insane. That amount of time was very short, and Edward was surpassing it immensely. I _was_ going crazy.

"Edward?" I called anxiously. Jacob stiffened from in front of me, and I moved myself closer to see. Suddenly, the person was in front of us. Jacob's growling had grew louder, and eventually drifted into terrifying snarls. But I couldn't form a single thought. My eyes were wide, my jaw was dropped, and my heart had stopped. Everything had stopped.

The person, clad in the familiar black robe and sunglasses, tipped his head at me. He grinned.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Bella."

I felt myself growing dizzy.

"Felix?"

* * *

**Don't hate me for no Edward this chapter! But he can't _always_ be around, haha. I'm sorry if I'm leaving you all confused about the whole Felix thing, but I hope you're starting to understand now. If not, I'll be making it clearer and clearer with future chapters. Sorry about the wait as well, I meant to upload this yesterday, but I was busy. I'm officially nineteen years old! Crazy, but I don't feel any older, haha. Also, I added a picture of my interpretation of Felix (at least, until New Moon comes out) and you can view it on my homepage. Please don't bash who I picked. You don't have to imagine him as Felix, you can imagine whoever you want. Whatever pleases you works for me, haha. And I want to say thank you so much for the reviews. When I get few saying that this is the best story you've ever read, you don't know how excited I get. So thank you so much, you guys are amazing! :D **


	13. New Kind Of Monsters

**Edward.**

I was running. I didn't know why, or where I was going, but I felt the urgency within me to move fast. My car wasn't nearly speedy enough to satisfy me, so I settled on my feet. The world whipped past me in a blinding fury, but it didn't blur the scenery. I saw every tree, every flower, every animal and every piece of nature around me as if I were standing still.

Alice had shown me last night that Bella would be released later today. I felt bad that I wouldn't be there when she wakens, but I've let my thirst drag on for far too long. I planned on visiting her tomorrow morning when I arrived home, knowing that Charlie wouldn't allow her to go to school for another few days. It gave me great comfort knowing that Bella was rid of that uncomfortable place that I knew she hated so much, but on the other hand, I was extremely anxious.

I was already assured countless times before I left that Bella was in no immediate danger. Alice had promised that if she saw anything, she'd call me the second her vision ended. But still, leaving her while I knew full well that a member of the Volturi was in town made my insides deflate. I felt irresponsible, but I didn't want to risk the lust for Bella's blood if I was hungry. This was beneficial for the both of us.

I heard rustling a few feet away, and snapped my neck up. I ducked into a low crouch, ready to pounce on any unexpecting animal. _Simmer down, tiger. It's only me._ I sighed, standing up-right once Emmett came into view. I scowled, and he threw me a sheepish grin.

"Find any grizzlies?" I asked conversationally, stepping over various twigs and leaves to walk out of the darker part of the forest. Emmett chuckled lightly.

"Do you see my shirt? That beast put up a good fight, but it was worth it," he replied, and I laughed as his tongue slipped over his top lip to clean the remains of his previous meal. I shifted my eyes downwards, and my laughter increased at the state of his clothing. His long-sleeved polo, which had been designer and a gift from Rosalie, was now hanging in tatters off of his shoulder.

"Only you would wear expensive clothing while hunting," I joked, and he sighed. _I think we might have to stop in Seattle on the way home. I need to replace this, or Rosalie's going to freak out. _I laughed again, shaking my head as we stepped into the small clearing, where Jasper was leaning against my Volvo, talking quickly into his cell phone. My eyebrows rose as we approached the blonde vampire. He seemed to be frantic.

"He's here, Alice. Do you want to tell him?" he asked, worry etched on his face. I frowned, and moved inside of his head. _Might as well get into the car right now. _With that, he handed me the small phone, and jumped into the passenger seat. This wasn't good. I motioned for Emmett to jump in the back while I slid into the front, turning the key in the ignition and hearing the Volvo roar to life.

"What is it, Alice? Is Bella okay?"

"I don't know!" Alice was hysterical. "Edward, her future just disappeared! One minute, she was driving home with Charlie. The next, everything disappeared. I can't see!"

The panic was quick, overbearing and overwhelming. Once again, my foot slammed on the gas pedal, making the speedometer reach its highest limit. I took a shaky breath through gritted teeth, and gulped down my fear.

"Go over there right now, Alice. Bring Rose, Esme, Carlisle, whoever you can find. As fast as you possibly can, please," I pleaded into the phone. My voice was icy and harsh, but the agonizing worry was evident. I could hear Alice giving orders to somebody in the background, before the slamming of doors.

"I'm on my way. I'll call you when I know what's happening. Hurry, Edward." _Click_.

Emmett leaned forward from the backseat, moving between Jasper and I as I handed him his phone back. He was curious, but I knew he didn't want to anger me. _What's going on?_

"Bella's future disappeared," I replied, finalizing the conversation before it even began. Emmett nodded, and shifted his attention to the dashboard. I was growing aggravated with the speed of this car. Forks was a two hour drive if you were going the speed limit, but I most definitely wasn't. My fingers locked around the steering wheel, crushing the rubber material. I felt waves of calmness spread through my body, but it wasn't enough to make me sane.

"I knew this was a stupid idea. I knew it," I muttered to myself, shaking my head in disgust.

"It might be nothing, Edward. Maybe something is wrong with Alice's sight," Emmett tried to reason from the back. Jasper stiffened next to me. _There has never been a problem with Alice's sight before. _I heaved a heavy sigh, and Jasper grimaced. He smiled apologetically.

"Then again, Bella_ is _a mysterious little thing."

Though my fear, worry and sheer insanity was eating away at me, I couldn't help but smile in agreement.

"Take this turn, Edward. We'll make it there twenty minutes quicker," Jasper quietly instructed, and I nodded, trusting his sense of direction. The road was bumpy, constructed of dirt and dry grass, but we managed. Emmett would laugh each time that we hit a rock, making the car jump in protest, which would send Jasper airborne. I was lucky that I had brought them. Knowing myself, I would've pulled the car over and destroyed the entire forest in fury if I were alone.

Jasper's phone vibrated loudly against his knee, and I extended my arm, grasping it quickly before he could even look down. He didn't argue, but watched curiously as I answered.

"Is she okay?" I asked loudly, breathing unnecessary breaths. The line was quiet for a minute, before I heard Bella's enchanting, musical laugh in the background. My entire body tingled in delight as I blew out a large breath of relief.

"Edward," Alice began in a wary tone. The tension that I was sure had been lifted immediately fell onto my shoulders once again. "It's Felix. He's here."

"Well, we knew it was one of the Volturi, but-"

"You don't understand. The Felix that Bella speaks about .. it's him. It's Felix from the Volturi," she explained, her voice breaking and rising as she ended her sentence. I froze. An icy, terrifying sheet of doubt glazed over my faze. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I didn't know where to begin. My first priority was Bella.

"Bella is okay? She is safe?" I checked.

"Yes, she's fine," she replied, letting out an uneasy laugh. "For now."

"Alice .. explain," I commanded harshly. She took a breath on the other line, and I listened as she called out to Bella, announcing that she would be right back. I could hear her quick stomping footsteps. "What is going on?" I asked again.

"I don't know why, but Felix from Volterra, is the same one Bella has been speaking about in her sleep. He is following her. When Esme, Rosalie and I arrived, he was here. She wasn't harmed, though. They were just speaking. He left her, but I didn't want to leave Bella. I still don't understand why her future disappeared," she explained softly. I turned down the familiar highway that would lead me straight to Bella's house.

"So, Felix has been following her. Does Bella know what he is?" I inquired.

"No, I don't think so. He was wearing sunglasses, so I'm sure she hasn't noticed his red eyes. Are you nearby yet?"

"Yes, we'll be there within minutes. Is it just you four?"

"No. Esme and Rosalie left a few minutes ago. Bella was here with Jacob Black from La Push-"

"Jacob Black?" I hissed sharply. I was very well aware of the Quilete tribe, and what they were. They were a different breed of _monsters_, much like myself. They were dangerous as well, maybe even more dangerous than us. I shook my head in anger and disapproval. I wasn't even gone a day and Bella ended up in the company of not one, but two predators.

"His father is a friend of Charlie's. Anyway, he and his father left quickly after we arrived, claiming that Jacob had unfinished homework to attend to. It's just Bella and I," she said, and I immediately felt relief. The rusty, worn out 'Welcome to Forks' sign greeted us as I turned down the dreary street. The panic lessened, a pleasurable feeling of comfort taking it's place as we neared Bella.

"I'll be there soon. We've just entered Forks."

"Well, step on it. Bella is very .. _anxious_ to see you," she said, before laughing sheepishly. I heard a low grumble in the background, before the sound of a sharp slap. Bella's grunt of pain immediately followed, and I perked up.

"Is she-"

"She's fine, Edward. Though I don't believe she'll be getting violent with any of us in the near future," she announced, her voice growing distant as she laughed. I smiled, and sighed in relief when Bella's house came into view.

"We're down the street. Goodbye."

I snapped the phone shut, and handed it back to Jasper. I could see Bella and Alice in the front yard. They were leaning against a red truck, which I'm sure was the gift that Charlie had gotten for her. Bella was seated on the railing of the bed, her short legs dangling as she chatted animatedly with Alice. I couldn't help but to grin at the sight of her. I inhaled a breath, trying to regain my composure. Jasper chuckled.

"Why are you getting so worked up?" he asked as we pulled into the driveway. I watched as Bella's head turned in our direction. Her eyes met mine, and her face immediately brightened. A toothy grinned etched across her face, and I felt my insides begin to spark from the exalting feeling. I didn't answer Jasper's question, but quickly scrambled out of the car.

I was at Bella's side before she could even blink. She was still seated on the truck, but I wrapped both of my arms around her torso and pulled her off. I held her in the air, swinging her around as I dug my face into her shoulder and inhaled her beautiful scent. I could feel her body shaking, but before I could pull away to see what was wrong, I could hear amusing giggles.

I dropped her onto her feet, and stiffened as the smell of her blood grew stronger. I glanced at her, and noticed the faint spread of blush on her pale cheeks. I sighed, and turned to see my family standing at my car, watching silently. I growled lowly at them, and they all began to laugh. I turned back around, wrapping my arms around her waist once more.

"Wow, somebody is happy to see me," she chuckled, before digging her face into my shoulder, not tall enough to reach anywhere else. I sighed, marveling in the feeling of perfection that her body brought. I pulled away after a few moments, extending my hand out to brush some stray hair out of her eyes.

"You have no idea," I breathed out, grinning at her. I watched her throat as she gulped, before sending me an uneasy smile. I frowned, but ignored the gesture. I didn't want either of us to become worked up right now. I just needed her close to me, to rid me of the haunting thoughts and terrors of today's events. Apparently, she didn't mind. She shifted herself closer to me, leaning into my side as she turned to look back at the rest of my family. I noticed her gaze lingered on Emmett.

"Oh, I've forgotten that you haven't been properly introduced to the two remaining family members. Bella, this is Emmett and Jasper," I announced, my hand sliding down to her slower back as I nudged her forward. She stumbled for a second, but once she regained her posture, she extended her hand out to my two brothers. Jasper was hesitant, but allowed himself to shake her hand willingly. I nodded once at him, thanking him for returning the gesture. Emmett yanked on her hand, pulling her forward and engulfing her into a hug.

"Emmett," I warned. He laughed as he pushed her gently off of him. She was gasping for breath, staring at him like he was crazy.

"Hello to you too," she muttered under her breath, but we all heard. Emmett threw back his head and laughed loudly. Bella continued to stare. _Send us off, Edward. I'm sure you want to be alone with Bella. _I glanced at Alice in approval.

"You guys can take my car back, I'm going to hang around here for awhile," I instructed, before glancing at Bella. "If that's okay with you?"

She nodded furiously, opening her mouth various times, but never spoke. Finally, she settled on her crazy head gestures, blushing brightly as she lowered her head. _Awe, she's embarrassed._ Jasper was chuckling softly at the human girl that stood beside me. I threw a warning glance at him, and he laughed. They piled into my car. I threw Alice the keys, and she slid into the drivers seat. I didn't wave goodbye to them as she pulled out of the driveway. My attention was solely on Bella.

"So .." I trailed, looking around. I was hoping she'd mention Felix to me. I wanted her to bring the situation up, so that I wouldn't have to pry and sound like a psycho boyfriend. I glanced down at her, and she was staring at the cement of her driveway, nodding her head.

"So .." she mimicked in the same tone. I sighed. She was impossible.

"Anything interesting happen today?" I pushed, my eyes narrowing as I stared at her. She returned my gaze, but I saw her throat take a plunge as she gulped once more. She wasn't going to tell me. She was going to lie.

"Hmm, let's see .." she began, her voice faltering as she was approaching the lie. "Obviously, I was released from that hell hole. Then, my Uncle Charlie surprised me with this truck!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms out in front of her widely in an attempt to show off the entire truck with her body. I chuckled, falsely admiring the truck with the same pride that she had. I whistled approvingly.

"It's nice," I commented. She scoffed.

"Nice? It's gorgeous!"

I rolled my eyes, and moved closer to her. She stiffened, and I listened intently as her heartbeat began to increase, racing in a dull but quick rhythm.

"That doesn't sound very eventful," I lied, trying to push the topic even further. "Anything else interesting happen?"

She pursed her lips, a gesture that I found completely adorable. She squinted, trying to remember her day, before she jumped in realization. I smiled in relief. Maybe she _was_ going to tell me after all. Bella wouldn't lie to me.

"I met Charlie's friend Billy and his son, Jacob. He's really nice, I spent a good chunk of the day hanging out with him .." her voice began to drift, and I knew that this was where the story grew tricky to her. I watched, never blinking as she eyes shifted to her fingers, that were dancing nervously against her jean clad thighs. I sighed, stepping even closer.

"And?"

She looked up at me, her piercing brown eyes burning into mine. I gulped, and my adams apple went under. I didn't know why Bella had this effect on me. Every time I was around her, I was completely unhinged. Everything I knew about right and wrong went out the window. She made me feel alive, like my heart was thumping and my blood was pumping. She makes me feel_ human_.

"And ... then Alice came. He couldn't stay because he had homework to finish, but Alice stayed and now you're here!" she exclaimed in fake excitement. I wanted to yell. I wanted to throw my fist into a tree in frustration. The Felix situation needed to be addressed, but it was very clear that she wasn't going to ignite the conversation. I sighed in annoyance, before regaining myself. Unfortunately, I had forgotten Bella's perceptiveness.

"You don't have to stay here, you know. Charlie is in the house. I don't need to be baby-sat," she mumbled in anger. Her eyes were no longer polite, and I cursed myself for being so ridiculous and emotional. I gazed down at her. She was no longer glaring at me. Her arms were crossed over her chest in a failing attempt to seem angry. I sighed, and stepped closer, closing the gap between our bodies.

My hands reached for her warm face, and I cradled it between my fingers. I could almost feel the thrilling blood flowing beneath the skin of my fingertips, leaving a spark each time I moved to explore new skin. She sighed, and I felt her shoulders slump in relaxation. I moved my hands downwards, holding her jaw with one hand. My other hand moved to the back of her head, and I allowed my fingers to massage her scalp. I gently tilted her head up, forcing her to lock eyes with me.

Once she did, her heart sped again. I chuckled at the sound. I would never get tired of hearing it. She frowned at me again, but I didn't release my hold on her. I merely smiled, letting my fingers move back over her cheekbone. She closed her eyes, and my fingers involuntarily reached for her glossy eyelids. I rubbed the wrinkled skin, frowning as I noticed the bags under her eyes. She had been sleeping plenty, but she still seemed restless.

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered, leaning closer to her ear. She froze for a minute, and I reluctantly loosened my grip. She took me by surprise by wrapping both of her small, fragile hands around my torso, and leaned her forehead against my chest. I buried my face into her hair, and smiled in happiness.

"Good. You've been away for too long," she mumbled. I laughed once, rejoicing to myself that she had too, missed my very presence. I took a breath, prepared to suggest some dinner, when I smelt it.

It was familiar, but held the essence of loyalty that I had come so accustomed to loath. It was putrid, demanding scent that was stronger for the diet choice it's owner had. Before I could control it, a sharp, angry hiss escape my throat. Bella jumped in my arms, and snapped her neck up to look at me in alarm.

"Edward, are you okay? What is it?" she questioned frantically.

But I couldn't look at her. I could only glare at the cloaked vampire that watched us from behind the forest. His sunglasses had been removed, and his bright red irises burned into my own topaz eyes. He smiled menacingly, and I winced.

I was going to kill that bastard.

* * *

**Whew! Okay, I hope it's becoming more clear. The details are going to continue to pour through future chapters. I'm not going to leave you completely in the dark. And if you begin to notice changes, probably with the Quiliete/werewolf situation, please don't flip out. I'm sure you've noticed by now that I don't exactly like sticking to the the original sequence of events, so things in the future may be a little be different. But nothing to drastic, I promise. Anyway, your reviews are always appreciated and always make me smile. So click that little button & let me know what you think about this chapter. Thanks!**


	14. The Fact Of The Fiction

**Bella.**

My eyes, which were becoming increasingly hard to keep open, fell to the alarm clock that sat on my dresser. Though the room was dark, the illuminating green blocked numbers read 10:16. I felt the slumber creeping up my chest, moving upwards, and I was unsuccessful in trying to stifle the yawn. Though I've never been one to retire so early, the hospital bed I had adopted for the past week felt like it was made out of rocks. My usually tolerable mattress felt like a cloud to me right now.

When the yawn escaped my mouth, the comfortable cushion that was currently supporting my head stiffened. I cursed silently to myself as the soothing icy fingers stopped working through my hair as well. This was such a rare moment, and I was sure that it wouldn't ever happen again. Not only was I occupying my bed with a member of the opposite sex, but I was being suspiciously calm about it. My heart wasn't pounding against my ribcage and preparing to jump out of my chest like it should be.

I've never had a boyfriend. I've never been this close to a male other than family before. To say that I was shy would be an exaggerated understatement. I've had a few crushes back in Michigan. They were all the hopeless, completely out of my league kind of crushes. And despite my attempts to remain nonchalant around them, I was always a complete mess. I couldn't even stand next to them without stuttering, my entire face turning red or fidgeting embarrassingly with my hair. I'm very easily intimated, I guess you could say.

So why is that I'm using Edward Cullen's chest as a pillow- and I'm not flushing with nervousness or on the verge of word vomit? Edward's beauty surpassed every boy I've ever laid eyes on put together. His very presence shook my bones, tearing at my very existence. I was a complete mess when it came to this flawless creature, but for some reason, I wasn't freaking out over it.

"Bella, you should sleep," he murmured quietly, leaning his head forward to speak directly into my ear. I opened my eyes as wide as they would go, before craning my neck up to glance up at him. I shook my head furiously.

"I'm not tired."

He chuckled once, before lowering his hand to my face. His chilling thumb rubbed across my forehead, brushing away stray strands of hair. He moved his thumb to rub above my eyebrow, before bringing it to my heavy eyelid. He touched it once, but it was enough to break through the wide awake act that I was putting on. My eyes immediately drooped, causing me to groan and earning another chuckle from him.

"I can stay awake," I suggested, pulling my arms from out of the comforter to push myself up. Edward realized what I was doing before I had the chance to act on it, and lightly pushed me back down. I felt better when my head was securely on his chest once more. He wasn't going anywhere.

"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, Bella," he promised. I sighed, nodding against his shoulder. Though I agreed, I knew that was a very short amount of time. I was having a very hard time trying to fight the sleep right now.

"Sleep, my Bella."

It was the last thing I had heard before my eyelids lost the battle, and surrendered to the slumber.

My dreams were simply dreams tonight. I wasn't plagued with horrific memory-filled nightmares that brought me into a cold sweat like normally. When my eyes fluttered open, I saw nothing but darkness. My head was resting on something more cushiony then I remembered Edward's chest to be. I sighed when I realized he wasn't there. Turning my head, I glanced at the alarm clock. The bright green numbers showed 2:19 A.M. I groaned, and dug my face into the Bella.

I lay there for several minutes, awaiting the peaceful sleep to take over once again, but it never came. I found myself wide-eyed and completely willing to get up and move around. I sighed, deciding against laying here and doing nothing.

I was careful of my leg as I pulled it carefully and cautiously over the edge of the bed. I reached for my crutches that were rested neatly against my headboard, and rose slowly. I grunted in annoyance as I crossed the room, wincing each time the crutch prodded the wooden floor loudly. Whatever I planned to amuse myself with, it was going to have to be a sitting activity, that's for sure.

I hobbled to my window, moving the white almost transparent curtains aside to peer into the darkness. The street was unusually calm. On a normal night in Forks, the tress would be swaying frantically with the strong gusts of wind. The streetlights would flicker violently, acting as if they were going to falter at any moment. The occasionally stray cat or rabbit would jump along the outskirts of the forest, before disappearing completely into the shadows of the trees. But tonight, it was eerie. An aura of presentiment filled the air, and I didn't like it.

My eyes lingered on one tree. Just hours ago, in the pure daylight, a figure of my past had emerged from that very tree. I was still analyzing this situation. Felix followed me, but didn't want to admit it. It couldn't be a simple coincidence that he decided to move here right after I had come. Suddenly, my head was strewn with frightening and uneasy thoughts. What if he was an obsessive stalker? What if he was a psycho-path who wanted to hack me up into pieces and wear my skin over his?

I closed my eyes tight, and let the drapes fall back into place. As quickly, and as graceful as possible for me, I moved away from the window. If I stared any longer, my imagination would get the better of me, and I'd start seeing things out there. I stood in the middle of my room, trying to decide what to do. My movements were limited. If I moved around too much, I'd make a lot of noise and wake Uncle Charlie up. I had to stay still.

I eyed the dusty piece of technology that was sitting untouched on my desk. Though I wouldn't be attending school for a few days, I still had to complete my assignments. I could get a head start on my research for my Creative Writing, and if Edward decided to stay away for the rest of the day, I could probably complete the entire thing. That would take a lot off of my shoulders.

As I took my seat, and waited for the ancient computer to load, my thoughts involuntarily swept back to Felix. His arrival today was the very last thing I expected, but I knew something was going on. Alice had been asking me suspicious questions about him before I had left the possible. She had asked if there were any chance that he'd follow me here, and I had told her no. I wanted to laugh bitterly at myself. Why did I always attract danger? Geeze.

Still, I would be lying if I said that a part of me, though tiny, wasn't thrilled to see him. He had been my confidant for so long. He was the only one besides Uncle Tommy that was willing to listen to me, and that gained an immense amount of respect for him in my book. Something about him was different now, though. While visiting today, he seemed on edge, as if waiting for an ambush. He spoke so cryptically, and everything he said was so .. ominous.

_"Felix?" I asked, eyes wide and jaw dropped to the cement. He grinned brightly at my shock, obviously not sensing the disbelief and small urge of fear that I was feeling. He stepped forward, but Jacob snarled again. I touched his forearm gently._

_"It's okay, I know him. He was a .. well, I used to talk to him in Michigan," I explained to stop Jacob's tremors. It didn't. If anything, the snarling, hissing and trembling grew more violently. I was growing impatient with the tanned boy beside me, and sighed heavily, stepping forward. I inched my head closer to Felix, my eyes wary of him. _

_"What are you doing here, Felix?" I snapped. I wanted to wince at the harshness of my tone, but I couldn't help it. Didn't he realize how creepy this was? We couldn't even call ourselves friends, but he had followed me here from Michigan. What the hell? How did he even know where I was? I don't recall ever saying goodbye to him. I gulped, suddenly feeling more nervous. His grin grew wider._

_"Bella, I was very sad to hear about the death of your uncle. How have you been?" _

_I hesitated, not sure what to say. I didn't want to disregard his presence, and act like it was okay for him to be here, because it wasn't. I stiffened, and the fear swallowed me whole. I couldn't help but back into Jacob's side. He didn't mind as he slid his arm in front of me protectively. _

_"I've been better."_

_He nodded, his face growing sullen. His head was directed forward, but I couldn't see if he was looking at me or not. Those familiar sunglasses were blocking his eyes, and I had to do a double-take at the sky. There was absolutely no sun in the sky whatsoever. There was no reason to be wearing sunglasses. I squinted, backing up even further into Jacob's embrace._

_"What do you want? She's obviously a little creeped out," Jacob managed to seethe between his gritted teeth. He was still shaking, but the look on his face showed that his anger had diminished if even a little. I inhaled a sharp breath, and waiting for Felix's response. He sighed once, and nodded._

_"When Bella left suddenly, it had me worried. Though we were not close friends, I have grown to care for you," he spoke gently, and I knew his eyes were focused on me this time. "I had to come and see if you were well. You wouldn't believe the .. monsters that are lurking out here."_

_At that, Jacob grasped my arm. My gaze shifted back and fourth between them, my eyebrows raised at the silent exchange of fury that both seemed to have for the other. I bit my lip, and reached my arm for Jacob's hands, asking with my own fingers for his grip to loosen. He obliged, and I inhaled another breath._

_"Why couldn't you have tracked down my number and called? This is really weird, Felix. I'm not really comfortable with this," I answered truthfully. He seemed to stiffen, but nodded once. He opened his mouth to speak, but before any words could form, the sharp squeal of tires against cement was sounded from just down the street. I watched in shock as a bright yellow Porsche skidded to halt in front of my house. I didn't have time to blink before Alice jumped hurriedly out of the front seat, accompanied by two beautiful women. One, whom I recognized as Rosalie, the uptight sister of Edward and Alice, and the other whom I didn't recognize at all._

_"Bella! Are you okay?" Alice inquired quickly. I blinked in confusion, but felt myself nodding. Jacob's arm around me tightened as Alice stepped closer. She ignored his grasp and engulfed me in a hug. My eyebrows raised._

_"What's going on?"_

_Silence._

_"Who are you? What are you doing here?" I heard a strange voice question from behind me. I turned to see Rosalie, who's eyes were narrowed at Felix, heaving in what appeared to be anger. I opened my mouth to question this, but Felix's bright grin returned to his face._

_"I'm sorry for causing you discomfort, Bella. Take care. I'll see you soon," he announced, before turning his back. I didn't have time to register his words before he was gone, and I was left completely dazed and clueless. _

_"Who was that, Bella?" Alice asked, crossing her arms over her chest. I sighed, bringing my fingers up to rub my temples gently. This was too much excitement for one day. I pushed Jacob's arm off of me in the process, probably angering him, but I didn't care. I had a massive headache, I had no idea what was going on and I just wanted to see Edward, god damnit. _

_"That was Felix. I guess he felt we were close enough that he could follow me," I muttered, frustrated with my friend. This was such a dumb move on his part. A creepy, stalkerish, dumb move. _

_"That was the Felix you were friends with in Michigan?"_

_I nodded, and she bit her lip, turning her eyes to the caramel haired women that stood beside Rosalie. I was curious as I watched the two, when suddenly her eyes fell to mine. She smiled warmly, and I exhaled a breath of relief, thanking silently that she didn't hate me like Rosalie does. _

_"Hello, dear. I'm Esme. I've heard so much about you," she gushed. She took one step forward, but somehow made it across the yard to me. I grinned warmly as I accepted her hand, acknowledging the cold temperature of her hand as well. I had become so used to it, but that didn't mean I wasn't suspicious. That kind of skin wasn't normal. It was humane, but I guess that's what you get when you're not human._

_"It's nice to meet you, Esme." _

_I was turning towards Alice, about to ask where Edward was, when a warm hand grasped my hand and pulled me back. I winced as my leg throbbed with the sudden movement, but tried to regain my face for Jacob's sake. He didn't take guilt very well._

_"My dad wants to hit the road. He's exhausted, and I've got homework to finish," he explained. His tone was stiff, and I was worried that maybe my interaction with Felix might've upset him. "Because unlike you, I have school in the morning. I wasn't lucky enough to be plowed by a truck." _

_I laughed. Maybe he wasn't angry. _

_I threw my arm around him, and hugged him with all the strength my body could muster._

_"It was nice to meet you, Jacob. You better come back soon," I warned, and he laughed. I could see Uncle Charlie helping Billy down the steps in the wheelchair. With one frigid glare at Alice and Esme, Jacob was gone. _

The entire day had been a huge exhaustion to my head. Only until Edward showed up, I felt better. It was strange that somebody could have such a powering dominance over me, but he certainly did. And I wasn't complaining in the least.

The computer screen lit up, causing me to jerk out of my reverie. My hand pulled away from my side as I let the mouse click to open the appropriate browser. Once it was loaded, I typed the address to Google robotically. I sat for a moment, trying to decide what to phrase the search as.

I settled for _vampire traits_.

After a moment of loading, the results popped up. 406, 000 results. Well, this would take awhile. I searched through the pages, hoping to find a decent looking site that wouldn't base their traits off of the movies. I found a site called _vampiresarereal_, which lead me to a page entitled Symptoms/Characteristics of Vampires. I clicked once, waiting for it to load.

It brought me to a solid black page, with bright wide font. The illuminating glow of the font was causing me to squint. I wasn't quite rid of the sleepiness in my eyes yet, and the brightness wasn't exactly helping. I pressed the down key, skipping the ridiculously long introduction, and moving right down to the bullet points. I reached across the desk for my notebook and pen, deciding against copying and pasting into wordpad. I needed to word these myself anyway.

The physical characteristics included traits that I already knew. In fact, I was positive that nothing new was going to spring up on me. I've seen enough vampire movies, and read enough books to know the basics. I really didn't need to be researching at all. But I knew I wasn't going to write this assignment based on the fiction that has been fed to me. I needed some truth in my words.

Pale skin, changing eye color, heightened strength and quick reflexes. These were all things that I've heard before. But as I read each word, a picture popped into my head. It was the stony castle of Volterra. The circular arch that welcomed my family and I just before they had been slaughtered. The sickening creatures that took them from me.

I stopped writing, and stared at the screen.

Pale skin? Definitely. It's what made them stand out. It's what made them so easy for me to spot. I wasn't supposed to know how to spot them, but I did. The brightness of their skin was so irregular to me. Though most humans would choose to ignore it, I knew better.

Changing eye color? Check. Edward's eyes changed so much, that I didn't know what to recite if asked their solid color. Most days, they were topaz, almost golden. Other days, they were onyx, but that was mostly if he was angry. The creatures in Italy were different. Their irises were permanently a dark shade of crimson.

Heightened strength? I think so. The scurrying vampires in Volterra were quick, sure, but to take out all of the humans in the room without a scratch was astounding. Even Edward, as well, must have this super-strength. How else could have pushed open the caved in doors to my cab before the truck impaled me? It wasn't normal.

Quick reflexes? Oh, positively. This was something that I had witnessed many times. From the dashing vampires in the slaughter room, moving from victim to victim, to Edward getting me out of the truck before the impact. Even Alice and Esme moving around with me this afternoon in the front yard. They moved so quickly, so gracefully that it was as if they hadn't even moved at all. It was as if they simply vanished and appeared out of thin air.

I couldn't ignore the dangerous pounding in my heart as I re-read the words, and re-assessed my check list. Everything made sense, even if I didn't want to. I had accepted and come to terms that these were creatures, not human. I had tried for so long to discover what they were.

A loud thump was heard behind me, and I whipped my head immediately out of fear. My new-found knowledge was eating away at me as I stared into the bright eyes of the confused and curious vampire that stood beside my window. He was moving himself to stand up-right, moving his vampire body closer to me.

I snapped my eyes shut, and everything suddenly came crashing down. A _vampire_. A blood-sucking, onion hating, anti-sunlight vampire.

Edward, my Edward, was a god damn _vampire_.

* * *

**She knows! Uh-oh! I apologize for the wait. It usually doesn't take me seven to eight days, but I couldn't get this to come out right. Finally! It's currenly 5 AM, though. Haha, I think I've mentioned before that I write better when I can hardly hold my eyes open, which at the moment, I can't. Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I'd like more, though! If you're one of the 100+ people that have this on review alert & read, please take the time to review! I write mostly for _you _guys, so I'd like your input. Thanks! **


	15. There Is No Fear

**Edward.**

I was relieved when Bella had fallen into a graceful slumber early, allowing me a quiet escape to satisfy the burning quench in my throat. It was becoming increasingly easier to control myself around her. It was still _there_, though. The undeniable thirst for Bella's delicious smelling blood was always going to be a huge factor in our relationship. Though it was getting simpler, and the will to ignore the calling of her was getting easier to ignore, I still didn't fully trust myself around her.

So the second that the fleshy walls of my throat began to scream in raw pain, I decided to hunt. I wasn't going far. In fact, I didn't plan on being even twenty minutes away from her. I was just going to head into the forest nearby and take down two or three deer. It wouldn't be appetizing, but it'd still the scathing pain.

I waited until she maintained a steady breathing pattern, making sure she was actually asleep, before I gently removed her head from off of my chest. I lay it softly onto the pillow next to me, and she instantly turned in her slumber, clutching at the pillow lazily. I chuckled once, before escaping out of the window.

I didn't waste any time in scouting a buck that was scaling the forest entrance, stopping occasionally to sniff the ground. I didn't want to play around tonight. If Bella were to wake in the middle of the night, I wanted to be there. I knew I had a good solid hour before her sleep would falter, so in one quick leap, my shoulder slammed into the stunned animal, knocking him to the ground. I grasped his fragile neck in my hands, and snapped it quickly, before raising the fur to my lips and letting my teeth finish the job.

I sighed in pleasure as the sweet tasting blood trickled to my stomach. The burning dulled immensely, and I pondered just going back to Bella after just one buck. I heard the soft rustling of leaves behind me, and the scent of another buck immediately filled my nostrils. Another one wouldn't hurt.

I crouched down, targeting the defenseless animal, and prepared to spring myself.

_Leaving Bella alone and unprotected? I don't believe that's a wise thing to do._

The snarl ripped through my throat, escaping loudly out of my mouth. I jumped to my feet, as his scent invaded the clear forest air that surrounded me. I didn't have to turn my head to know that he was standing behind me. I could feel it.

"I'm going to kill you," I threatened in a low, bitter voice. The anger was rolling off of me in waves, and I'm sure he could tell. I turned on my heel to glare at him, and nearly lost it when I saw the bastard grinning at me.

"Well Edward, I guess I shouldn't be surprised," he began in a bored tone. His skin was white against the illumination of the full moon in the sky above us. The sunglasses that I had witnessed him wearing through Alice's mind were removed, showcasing his milky crimson eyes. How could Bella peg me to be a monster, but not him? How could she have not noticed? How could she involve herself with _him_?

"I was suspicious thirteen years ago when you left the room with her. I knew you were lying, I could feel it," he spat, shaking his head as if he were disgusted. "And apparently, so could Aro."

I was trembling. It was a mixture of things. Fear, anger, fury, shame .. but mostly anger and fury. I stayed silent, not trusting myself to speak. If I spoke out, and got him riled up, we would fight. I knew that I wanted to tear him to shreds. The urge was resting on my fingertips, which were itching to rip his arms out of the sockets. But if I killed Felix tonight, I knew there would be hell to pay.

I needed time to formulate a plan. A plan that would ensure Bella's safety, as well as my family's. I couldn't attack him tonight.

"I stuck around to make sure that she kept her mouth shut. She seemed to be doing a pretty good job at it," he kept explaining, even though I was edging closer to him, wanting desperately to rip his throat out. "Until the stupid girl had a nightmare and basically explained the night's events in her sleep. Meanwhile, that uncle of hers was standing by the door listening."

I closed my eyes. He had killed Bella's uncle. He had been the cause of her endless pain. He had played with her, pretending to be her friend, ultimately brightening her life while he destroyed it at the same time. The Volturi really _were _cruel monsters. This was disgusting.

"You bastard .." I managed to choke through my fury. He laughed bitterly, shrugging in a nonchalant manner.

"He started sticking his nose in places it didn't belong. He was too suspicious for his own good, so I got rid of him," he announced, opening his mouth and running his tongue along his front teeth with an evil grin. Everything around me was spinning in a dark haze as I tried to regain my composure. I needed to keep myself planted to this very spot. I was too crazy right now, and the monster within me wanted to kill.

"Of course, I was expecting my little Bella to get shipped to a new family member. But imagine my surprise when I finally arrive in Forks and see you here! It'll be _so_ easy! Like killing two birds with one stone!" he exclaimed cheerfully, shaking his head in amazement.

"You will not touch her," I demanded, enunciating each word slowly, so that he'd take heed of my warning. "Do you understand me?"

He was laughing again. I winced at the loudness of his deep amusement, probably waking Bella from her sleep. He took a taunting step forward, the smile never erased from his face.

_Who do you think you're speaking to, Cullen? Have you forgotten where I'm from?_

I didn't speak, or show any acknowledgement of his thoughts. We stayed locked in hateful glares for what felt like minutes, before he finally turned away from me. I didn't call out to him, though a million curse words coursed through my brain. I kept my feet calmly on the ground, still not trusting my body enough to move. I waited until his retreating figure was out of my eyesight.

And then I ran.

I don't think I've ever ran so fast before. Though I knew that Alice would foresee Felix attacking, I couldn't help but be terrified for my Bella. We were in for a fight, that was for sure.

I couldn't wrap my head around this. By taking Bella from that massacre thirteen years ago, I had saved her life. But I was a damn fool for thinking it could go unnoticed by the Volturi. So by rescuing Bella, I had only ended up dooming her as well. Her fate was sealed. She was supposed to die, was that it? The Volturi wanted her erased from this world, even though she hadn't spoken a word of our secret to anybody for thirteen years. Even as a toddler, something that exciting and big would be something a child would jump at the chance to talk about- but Bella didn't.

She was receiving the death penalty for something she didn't deserve. And I wasn't going to have that.

I couldn't think of my options, no matter how desperate I was to conjure them. Only one, the big one, stood out above them all. It was the logical option- the one that would save Bella, and spare us from a prolonged battle that my family and I had no chance against winning. But I wouldn't do it. I couldn't do it, and I wouldn't put that on Bella.

I wouldn't condemn her to this hell.

As I neared the house, I could sense her. Her scent was strong by the window- stronger than it had been before. She must've actually gotten out of bed as well. I sighed, leaning against the tree for a moment. I could hear the quick, soft tapping of a computer keyboard coming from Bella's room. I frowned. It was almost 2:30 in the morning. What could Bella possibly be interested in on the internet at_ this _time?

I stayed perfectly still for a few minutes, wanting to have full control of my emotions before I made my appearance. I didn't want to explain everything to Bella tonight. It was a strain that I would love to avoid after the chat I just had with Felix. But Bella was very perceptive, and if I was even a tad bit angry, she would pick it up quickly.

Everything became frighteningly silent for a few moments. She was breathing loudly, and my eyebrows raised in confusion as I stared up at her window. The computer screen was lighting the room, but from where I was standing, I couldn't see a thing. I sighed again, and turned around, gripping the tree as I prepared to climb, when a familiar thumping sounded.

Thump ... thump ... thump, thump, thump, _thumpthumpthump_.

Bella's heart was frantic, and I couldn't have made it up the tree any quicker than I did. I wrenched open her window with ease, and jumped in, wincing when my feet impacted the floor loudly. I immediately searched the room for Felix, fearing that he may have slipped past me and made it to her room without me noticing. I breathed in relief when I didn't smell his scent.

I turned to Bella, who was perched at the computer chair. Her body was blocking what was on the screen, but whatever it was, it must've scared her. Her heart was still beating wildly in her chest, and it seemed to increase as I stepped closer. Once I moved closer, to a spot where the brightness of the computer screen lit her beautiful face, I saw it.

She was staring at me. Her eyes were wide, her jaw was dropped and she looked horrified. I frowned.

"What's wrong, Bella?" I asked quickly, taking another step. Her widened eyes followed my actions, and she cowered back for a minute. My frown increased. Was she .. afraid of me? I gulped, and cocked my head to the side. I opened my mouth to speak, but the header on the computer screen caught my eye.

'Symptoms/Characteristics of Vampires'.

I'm sure the horror was apparent on my face. _She knew_. She had figured it out, and she was afraid of me. That's why she was cowering, and that's why her heart was racing. _She was afraid of me_. A wave of hurt spread throughout my body as I ingested this new information, and I involuntarily took a step back towards the window. My hands reached for it.

"Don't go," she whispered weakly. I snapped my head towards her.

"You know," I muttered. "You're afraid of me."

She sat still for a second, before jumping to her feet. Her eyes were bigger than before, but I didn't see the same fear in them. She seemed to have forgotten her bad leg, stumbling as she so quickly rose to her feet. I dashed across the room, not bothering to hide my speed, to steady her. Once she was safely still, I began to back away. She shook her head furiously, wrapping her tiny, warm fingers around my wrist.

"Please don't leave."

"Bella .." I began. I closed my eyes, trying to find a reason to leave. _She's afraid of you. Leave because you're frightening her._ I gulped, and opened my eyes to recite my goodbye, but gasped softly when I saw her move even closer to me.

"Edward Cullen, I am _not_ afraid of you," she spoke with such an icy tone. "Since the moment I saw you, I knew you weren't human."

"Bella, I'm a vampire. The idea has to frighten you in some aspect-" I began. For some reason, I wanted to convince her to be afraid. It would be so much easier to deal with Felix and the Volturi if Bella wasn't involved with us.

"No. The very thought of you has made me feel safe for the past thirteen years. I wasn't afraid of you then, and I'm not afraid of you now. Please, don't leave," she requested, her voice softening at the end. My resolve melted away. The strength that I had been building to leave diminished as I stared at her chocolate brown eyes. I could see it. She really _wasn't _afraid of me, despite how healthy it would be for her.

When I didn't respond, she wrapped both arms around my torso and leaned into me. I stood motionless, arms raised confusedly as I tried to analyze the situation. I felt that it was proper that I left, that I allowed Bella to rest and digest what she had just learned. It was the right thing to do, but when she rested her forehead against my chest, and murmured my name, all aspects of right and wrong went out the window.

I scooped her up off of her feet, taking a few steps and dropping her gently onto the bed. I pulled the covers down, and kicked off my shoes before climbing in beside her. Her arm slid around my torso once more, and she substituted my head as a pillow. I smiled down at her, and she returned the gesture.

I knew we had to talk about this. It wasn't that easy. She had questions, and I knew she wanted to ask them. I could feel the nervousness, anticipation and curiosity radiating off of her. Her heart rate had gone back to normal, only speeding up when I would occasionally lean down and kiss her forehead, or rub my fingers along a patch of skin on her arm. I chuckled at this.

"Edward?" she asked in a small voice. I lowered my eyes to her, and smiled.

"Yes?"

"I already know that you're not like .. the bad guys," she began, and I felt a lump forming at my throat. I was hoping she would fall asleep, she definitely looked tired enough to do so. I nodded, and she took that as her cue to continue. "But are you like them? I mean .. do you-"

I frowned as she struggled with her words, but I knew exactly what she was referring to.

"My family and I hunt animals, not humans," I answered in a finalized tone. She exhaled a sigh of relief, and nodded against my chest. On instinct, my fingers began stroking her soft brown locks, coursing through the small knots and tangles. She was breathing softly, and I knew she was on the verge of sleep. It was only a matter of time. Until then, I would just have to endure her questions.

"Why were you with them? Thirteen years ago?"

I sighed, the shame creeping up quickly. Usually, I was never embarrassed to admit that I had been with the Volturi for a year. But knowing what they had done to Bella's family, I wished I could lie. To be a member of that monster mob, even if I had no part in her parent's death, was suddenly very disheartening and shameful. Though, without it, I wouldn't have met Bella.

I would've been stumbling around this world aimlessly, searching for the void that she was meant to fill.

"I was a member of their coven for a year. I'm not proud of it, but I was trying it out. I was trying to find my purpose, and it was a stop along the way," I explained. She was watching me, taking in every word that I spoke. She nodded, smiling slightly for me to continue. "And then I met you."

She giggled, and the sound made my insides squirm with delight. I grinned down at her.

"So what? You met me, dumped me at an orphanage and then ..?" I frowned at her choice of words, but didn't protest against them. I had dumped her there, without even thinking about the outcome. My head was stuck in a fictional land, where I believed they'd welcome Bella with open arms with no questions. But I guess I couldn't be smart all of the time.

"I don't quite know, but I know that you're what has kept me going for the past thirteen years. There's something about you, Bella. I feel very .. protective of you. You just .. you just make me happy."

I felt relieved that the truth was now out, though I couldn't help but feel like a love struck teenager confessing his feelings to his girlfriend. I exhaled a loud breath, anticipating her reaction. I hoped she wouldn't behave like a love struck teenager, but I didn't believe she would. Bella was too mature for her age.

"I make you happy?" she asked skeptically. I chuckled, and nodded.

"Very much so."

"Well, that's .. weird," she replied, shaking her head in disbelief. I threw my head back and laughed. She quieted after that, leaving the room silent except for the occasional sigh from her lips. She would glance up at me discreetly every few minutes, and open her mouth. I always patiently awaited the question, but it never came. It was driving me insane.

"Bella," I demanded in a threatening voice. "Please tell me what's getting you so flustered. Just ask the questions I know you're struggling to ask."

The blood rushed to her cheeks, and she dug her face deeper into my shirt to try to conceal it. I sighed, about to protest, when she rose her head and took a breath to speak.

"Please don't laugh, but I just want to ask to get it out of the way," she began, and I rose my eyebrows in curiosity. She cleared her throat, raising her hand in front of her face.

"Do you have a reflection?" she asked quietly. I laughed loudly, not able to contain myself. She was frowning at me, and I immediately sobered, remembering her first request. I shook my head, still chuckling lightly.

"Yes. I have a reflection."

"Do you sleep in a coffin?"

"No, I don't sleep at all."

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head in disbelief. She sat stunned for a few seconds, before finding the voice to continue her inquisition.

"Does garlic bother you?"

"Any kind of human food bothers me. But not in that way. I just can't eat it."

"And the sunlight?"

I chuckled.

"It doesn't kill me, but I can't be in it with humans around," I explained. Her eyebrows shot up in a curious manner, and I waved a hand to her lazily. "I'll show you sometime."

She nodded, and opened her mouth to speak again, but I saw her eyelids drop. I glanced at the clock, and frowned when I realized it was nearing three. I pushed myself down, so that she could slip further down into the mattress. I pulled the covers up over both of us, and kissed her forehead gently, pushing the hair out of her face. She yawned.

"Goodnight Edward."

I smiled.

"Goodnight, my Bella," I whispered gently. She smiled, and her eyes fluttered closed.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I watched for what seemed like hours. She would murmur words, but they were too groggy for even I to understand. I watched a smile graced her lips, before she distinctively recited my name. My heart soared. I held her even closer to me, marveling in the feeling of having her so close. Bella truly was the most amazing human in existence. I didn't think it was possible for such a fragile, beautiful human to make me feel like this. But I wasn't complaining.

The phone in my pocket began to vibrate, and I leaned down quickly to swipe it out before Bella could feel the rumble. I flipped it open, noticing Alice's number at the top. I frowned when I read the message.

_'Come home now.'_

I sighed.

What now?

* * *

**There you have it! Though I like to change things up, I wouldn't have made Bella afraid of Edward. She's known for years that he wasn't human, so why should _that_ terrify her? So this is where the plot thickens! To be honest, I don't know where I'm taking this, but time will tell. :D I'd like to thank IAmNotStalkingEmmett for pointing on my idiotic mistake last chapter, and usually I don't do this, but I felt so stupid that I have to correct it- vampires don't hate _onions_, they hate _garlic_. I'm usually not so moronic, I swear- but it was late and my fingers were typing faster than my brain was processing. Sorry! But wow! 24 reviews last chapter, that's definitely amazing. It made me extremely happy, so try to do it again this chapter! :D  
**


	16. Black Eyes & Hungry Desire

**Bella.**

I was confused when my eyelids fluttered open. First, the sunlight was pouring through my window, making me squint in protest. I was momentarily stunned. Sunlight in Forks was a very rare commodity. Secondly, there was an extremely odd sensation of happiness running through my veins. I had never felt this refreshed and joyous while I was still processing my wake.

I waited for yesterday's events to seep into my head, because at the moment, I wasn't aware of anything except for the beautiful sunny day outside. I sighed, rolling over to escape the brightness that irritated my heavy eyelids. My alarm clock moved into my vision, and I groaned when I read the time. How was the world so alive at 7:30? More importantly, why was I even conscious at this hour?

I laid my head back upon the soft pillow, craning my neck to rid the soreness that had grew over the night. Something propped against the headboard of my bed caught my eye, and as I realized they were crutches, everything quickly rushed back to me. A lump was forming in my throat as I replayed yesterday in my head. I had met Jacob and Esme. Felix was in Forks. And Edward was a vampire.

I coughed loudly, practically choking on my own saliva as the last thought occurred to me. I wanted to laugh at how silly my dreams could be. Sure, Edward and his family were different, but vampires didn't exist. They were fictional- only present in horror films, or costumes on Halloween. There were absolutely no such thing, and the moving I had seen with Angela must've been triggered in my dream last night. I wracked my brain, trying to remember every detail of this dream of mine. I was slowly beginning to convince myself that Edward wasn't real, that the past couple weeks had also been a figment of my imagination. At least _that_ would make sense.

But as I studied the crutches, I noticed a small note attached to one of the handles. I stretched to reach it, but immediately pulled back with a sharp hiss. I had forgotten about the pain in my leg, which was dull and tolerable a few moments ago, until the quick movement of my body woke it alive. I winced, sitting up to cradle the injured leg. Well, the accident was _definitely_ not a dream.

When the throbbing pain disappeared, I slowly and cautiously reached up again, just grazing the square piece of paper with my fingertips before successfully grasping it. I yanked, and groaned when one of the crutches fell onto my shoulder. I was not starting of on a great start this morning. I rolled over, pushing the crutch off of me before raising the paper to my face.

_I hope you won't wake before I return, but if you do, I will be back around noon._

_We need to discuss what you've learned last night._

_Please be careful. I'd rather not spend any more time at the hospital._

_- Edward._

My heart jumped. Last night wasn't a dream. Edward had been here on this very bed with me. I had fell asleep against his stone, but comfortable chest. And Edward_ was _a vampire.

Oh my god.

I don't know how much time I had spent on my bed, looking up at the note and re-reading his words until they became blurry. I didn't stir until my eyes began to sting from the lack of blinking. I sighed, setting the note down as I wiggled out of bed. My injured leg made it difficult, and it took more time than necessary, but I had accomplished it, and rewarded myself with a bowl of cereal afterwards. I chewed my spoonfuls of Frosted Flakes slowly, still basking in the knowledge that I now possessed.

When I was finished, I washed the bowl thoroughly, trying to kill time as I waited for Edward's arrival. It was just nearing nine, and I had about three hours to myself. I quickly took a shower, before dressing into more presentable sweatpants, and a long sleeved button-up flannel shirt. I had laid back down, not planning on falling asleep, but I knew that an immense amount of exhaustion was taking over my body.

_I was running. Branches and leaves whipped past me, occasionally ripping open small cuts on my face. I didn't stop running, though. Someone, or something, was chasing me. My legs pumped as fast as they possibly could, but it was only a matter of time before my clumsiness made an appearance, and I tripped. I toppled to the ground, landing face first into the moist soil beneath me._

_I could hear him laughing loudly from a distance. He was taunting me, playing with me as if I were a toy to him. I quickly scrambled to my feet, and began running again. I was limping this time, due to an intense sharp pain in my left ankle. I didn't stop to examine it. I didn't have time for that. I had to get out of this forest. He was going to kill me._

_So I kept running. It felt like hours that I had been at this, and I was only going forward. The forest wasn't ending, and I had a sickening feeling that it wasn't going to. I gulped, my breathing becoming erratic when I heard him laugh menacingly not too far from behind me. I turned my head as I ran, assuring myself that he wasn't directly behind me and I still had a chance to escape._

_In that moment, I collided with something._

_I looked up, expecting to see a tree in front of me, due the extreme hardness of the object. Instead, I saw him._

_I couldn't see his face, or any part of his head. It was covered; draped in a black hood that was attached to an oversized cloak. His head was inclined down, and I knew he was staring at me. I gasped loudly as I used my hands to push myself backwards, further away from him. He took one step forward, and was in front of me. A large, milky white hand extended from the bell sleeves of the robe, and his icy fingers grasped my neck, yanking me onto my feet._

_"Please .. don't .." I managed to croak. He laughed again, but this time, it was different. I recognized it from somewhere._

_He tipped his chin, and the second I saw his crimson, hungry eyes, I screamed. I thrashed in his choke-hold, murmuring soft prayers of help. He continued to laugh at my expense. He lowered his head, and I felt his breath against the exposed skin of my neck. I whimpered pathetically, and my thrashing came to a halt._

_"Why?" I whispered. He didn't loosen his grip, instead, tightening it. I gasped for air, his hard fingers cutting off any circulation in my body. He smiled, and I saw the bright gleam of his flawless white fangs through the darkness of the hood. With his free hand, he swiftly removed the hood. I screamed._

_It was Edward._

_"Because I'm hungry," he explained once, before lowering his fangs into my neck._

I shot up in bed, panting as I clutched my head tightly. I was out of breath, and it was obvious that I had screaming, due to the burning ache in my throat. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. A cold hand clamped down onto my shoulder, and I screamed again.

"Shh, Bella! It's okay! It's only me!"

Though it was a mirror of the voice in my dream, I immediately relaxed. Edward's hand was now over my mouth, preventing me from letting out another shrill scream. I sighed, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest as I looked over at him. His face was alive with worry, his jaw clenched and his eyes scanning over me in protectiveness. I could only glance at his eyes first, before moving down to his mouth. I immediately felt relieved. No red eyes or fangs was a good sign.

"You were just having a nightmare. Are you okay? Did I frighten you?" he asked, the concern very heavy in his tone. I bit back the urge to sob. Of course, he had frightened me. But I wasn't going to take my own demanding nightmares out on Edward, who would never hurt me like the .. bad guys.

So, instead of telling the truth, I shook my head.

He knew I was lying. My acting skills weren't very convincing, but before he could interrogate me, I lunged for him. I didn't care if he was a vampire who thirsted for my blood, I just needed him close to me right now. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and pressed my warm cheek against his cold chest. He sighed once, and his icy finger leaned down and tipped my chin up.

"You were screaming very loudly. That must've been some nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head furiously. How do you tell somebody that they were eating you in your dreams? I was already humiliated and terrified enough. I didn't need to add guilty to that list, because I knew guilt was exactly what I would feel if I pushed my own ridiculous fears upon him. He nodded once, accepting my answer, and crushed me gently to his chest.

"What time is it?" I squeaked, not wanting to turn my face away from his chest. He smelled incredible. He sighed again, and I smiled at the rumbling vibration in his chest when he spoke.

"It's ten to one. I hadn't expected you to sleep this late."

I shook my head, finally gathering the strength to push myself out of his arms. I threw the comforter off of me, revealing my change of clothes. I regretted the action once the cool air hit me. I curled back into Edward, but found the shivers in my body only increased due to the temperature of his skin.

"I had a bowl of cereal and showered. I didn't mean to fall back asleep, but I was so bored."

"I'm glad you're well rested," he began, and I snorted. I wouldn't call that rest _well_. He ignored me, and continued. "We really need to discuss what you know. You seem to be taking it rather .. calmly, but that's exactly what I'm worried about."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You don't want me to be calm? You want me to be afraid of you?"

"No, but that would be the appropriate, normal response. You shouldn't feel so comfortable and safe around me. You shouldn't be this close to me," he explained, and I felt his arms snaking around my waist to move me, but I only gripped him harder. I shook my head against his body, not wanting to look up at him.

"There has never been a day in my life that I've been normal, Edward. I know that I shouldn't feel safe and comfortable around you, but I do. You're-" I paused, gulping down the word vomit. I didn't want to say anything embarrassing, and I knew that once I began to ramble, embarrassing thoughts were usually what resulted from it. His cool finger found my chin again, and I was forced to look at him.

"Finish, Bella."

I shook my head, and he groaned.

"Do you have any idea how frustrating that is? It's bad enough that I can't hear inside that mind of yours, but when you censor yourself .." he trailed off. It took me a few minutes, and a few replays of the sentence in my head.

"Wait, stop, rewind. What do you mean by you can't hear inside my mind?" I asked curiously.

"Some vampires," he began, and stared down at me for a second, gauging my reaction. When I didn't grimace, he continued. "They develop gifts, or powers, you could say, when they're transformed. I can read minds. I've been listening to the thoughts of every person I've ever crossed in my existence, except for you."

I was confused, and tipped my chin to raise my eyebrows at him. He laughed, and with his index finger, gently tapped my head.

"This is completely silent to me. Even as a toddler, you were immune to my power. And it's incredibly frustrating," he whined, and it was my turn to laugh. I felt a wave of relief wash through me. If he actually could read my mind, I'd be embarrassed to the point of no return. Almost every single one of my thoughts revolved around him, as sad as that was.

"Is it only you? Are you the only one with a power?"

He shook his head.

"Jasper is an empath. He can manipulate the emotions around him. And Alice can see visions of the future. They're completely based off of the decisions of others, and aren't always reliable, but I wouldn't bet against her."

I nodded, finally beginning to piece everything together. I was surprised at myself. Any other person would either be screaming for their life, or screaming excitedly. I was being introduced to the world of the vampires and their special skills. I was determinedly attached to two vampires who could read minds and see the future. I should be terrified or ecstatic, or something, but I wasn't. I was calm.

"Did Alice see the car accident?" I asked weakly. He nodded, and lowered his face down into my hair. He inhaled sharply, before gasping for a breath. I frowned, bringing a strand of my own hair up for inspection. I had just showered a few hours ago. There was no way that I could possibly stink already. He laughed at me, shaking his head.

"You smell wonderful," he assured me. I could only nod.

We sat in silence for a few moments. I was wrapped up in the embrace of a vampire. It was a funny and scary thought, but it didn't make me pull away. My heart was racing in my chest, but I knew it was because of the way Edward made me feel. Though I was positive that nothing like that would happen, I couldn't ignore the butterflies that jumbled around in my stomach whenever I was close to him. I had, for lack of a better word, fallen.

The only difference between Edward and the other boys in my life, was that Edward was entirely too perfect for me. There was absolutely no way that I could ever measure up to him, or be good enough for him. He could have any female in the world, so why would he want_ me_? I wanted to control my desire, but I couldn't. I guess you can't help who your heart longs for. I was only setting myself up for hurt, but I gladly welcomed it. I would pay any price to be close to him like this.

"Bella?" his voice was so soft, that I felt myself turn into mush at the sound. I murmured a soft 'hm'.

"Nice try."

I looked up, confused.

"Finish what you were going to say earlier. You're not off the hook that easily," he teased, and I groaned. I contemplated this for a moment. Why couldn't I had been born with confidence? I hated the idea of rejection. I didn't think Edward would ever intentionally hurt me, but his very reaction could cease my happiness. I had to be careful about this. I had to set a barrier-

"Please?"

Oh, screw it.

"I was going to say that you are .. probably the most important person to me. I need you in my life. It would kill me if you ever went away," I spoke quietly, trying to hide my humiliation. I didn't look up, fearing that his reaction would be one of disbelief and rejection. And he was so tense beneath me, which I didn't consider a good sign either. I sucked in a sharp breath. _Just say something. Please._

"Bella, look at me."

I didn't.

"Bella," he warned, his voice hard. I sighed, caving in and locking my eyes with his. He wasn't smiling, but I most definitely did not see any trace of disbelief or rejection. He almost looked somewhat determined.

"Please don't ever be embarrassed to say what you feel. Especially about me. Truth be told, I need you in my life as well. I couldn't ever stay away from you, no matter how beneficial it would be for your health," he ranted. I exhaled the breath that I was holding.

"Then don't ever leave me."

"I won't," he promised in my ear quietly. I nodded, and wrapped my arms closer around him. My heart, if possible, was racing even faster now. I wasn't aware that Edward's eyes were glued to the top of my head until I leaned up to look at him. The raw desire in his golden eyes took my breath away. I raised a hand to his face, and let my warm fingers stroke his cold, hard skin. He inhaled a sharp breath.

"Bella," he breathed out. "Please, be perfectly still."

I was confused, but didn't protest his orders. I let my hand rest on his cheek, as he nuzzled against it, his nose brushing against the bluish green of the veins beneath my skin. He let out a pleasurable sigh, and I felt my heart beat even faster. His nose left my wrist as his face moved up towards mine. I was trembling by this point, trying to get a grip of myself.

He stared at my eyes for a minute, before they glanced down at my lips. My tongue darted out to moisten them subconsciously. He took in another breath, and moved even closer. I gulped down my fear, surprised by how badly I wanted to close the gap in between our faces. This couldn't really be happening. This wasn't anything I could ever imagine to happen to me.

He was going to kiss me. Holy crow. Edward Cullen was going to kiss me.

I took a breath, and moved my lips to speak, but he shook his head, and any word that I had been planning to speak faded away quickly. I felt one of his hands wrap around my small waist, and I was immediately closer to him. His breaths were husky and heavy as he continued to glance down at my lips, before one of his icy cool thumbs reached up to smooth along my bottom lip.

"Don't move," he warned once.

And then his lips were on mine. They were still for a moment, before they began to move harmoniously with mine. I gasped against his mouth, the feeling ripping through my entire body. As cheesy as it was, I felt like there was a church choir in my head, singing a joyous round of _Hallelujah_ in my ear. An unfamiliar tingle danced upon my veins as he deepened the kiss, pulling me even closer.

I was waiting for something to pull me out of this reverie. Surely, this couldn't be real. But when his fingers grasped my upper-arm, and he stroked the skin, I couldn't help but moan. Okay, so if this _was_ a dream, I was going to make the best of it. My tongue instinctively pushed out of my mouth, running against his lips, and I heard him hum pleasurably. I wanted to scream in delight. I had absolutely no kissing experience, but I seemed to be doing a pretty good job at it. I don't know how it was for him, but this was the most incredible feeling in the world.

His fingers tightened against my arm, and I whimpered in response. Though I didn't want the kiss to end, his tight grip was making my entire arm fall asleep. I pushed my lips against his one more time, before attempting to move my head back. He didn't let go.

I whimpered loudly, unwrapping my arms from around his neck and trying to push his hand off of my arm. He didn't budge, and his fingers grew tighter. I yelped in pain into his mouth, hoping he'd get the point.

"Edward," I grumbled, trying to move myself away from his mouth, but he pushed his lips harder against mine. The contact was brutal, and I knew that my mouth was going to be bruised, along with my arm. But I couldn't worry about that. I could only worry about the panic that swept through my body because Edward was hurting me. If he squeezed my arm any tighter, he'd break the bone.

I yanked my head away, gasping for air. "Edward, you're hurting me!" I yelped through sharp gasps. He lips froze, and I was thankful, but he didn't loosen his grip from my arm. I took this moment to look at his eyes. They were bitch black, definitely a harsh change from their normal topaz color. I was terrified.

He was shaking now, and his grip was becoming increasingly tighter. I tried to plead with him, to break him out of whatever trance he was in. This wasn't my Edward. This wasn't the gentle, caring Edward that I knew.

But he wasn't hearing me clearly. So I did the only thing I thought would work.

I screamed.

* * *

**Uh-oh! Looks like Edward wasn't quite ready for that! What kind of drama will unfold from this? We shall see! Haha, I don't even know. Anyway, I apologize for the late chapter. I've had an extreme case of writers block. But I always try to open doors for future chapters, like I did for this one. Please let me know what you think! Your opinion is heavily considered when I write, so click that button & give me some feedback. :D Thanks!**


	17. Falling Faces

**Edward.**

I didn't know where I was. Every inch of my mind was cloudy, dazed in an unknown darkness. I didn't have a clue what was happening to me, but I didn't like the strange unpleasant feeling it was bringing upon me. I felt momentarily blinded, seeing nothing but the black walls that were swallowing me whole. I tried to open my eyes, to blink, to do anything, but nothing brought me out of the darkness.

I could hear her voice. Bella's soft, usually melodic words were now distant. I could hear the familiar sweetness in the sound, but to my ears, it was a lulling buzzing. She was frantic. I could tell from the high pitched frequency and the consistent, short squeals. I mentally cringed, and tried to push myself out of my unconscious state. Bella needed me. I could hear it. I could_ feel _it. Something was happening. Something was harming her.

I wasn't gaining any light, and I myself, was becoming frantic. I needed a sharp tug. I needed something to grasp hold of me and take me away from this. I needed to get back to Bella. I began to push harder and harder, straining myself with every second that passed. _Hold on, Bella._

That's when I heard it.

It wasn't a dull buzz, and it wasn't muffed like the other sounds she had been making. It was a clear, loud scream of agony. It yanked me to the surface, and I immediately opened my eyes, gasping for an unnecessary breath when her face came into view. Her normally flawless, calm face was contorted into one of horror, shock and pain. My senses kicked in, and I began searching for dangerous thoughts of the unknown predator in the room.

Silence. I heard nothing but the quick, heavy pants of Bella.

I looked at her face again, becoming increasingly confused. Her eyes caught mine, and I studied them. I saw an immense amount of horror- but why? There was nobody in the room except for us. Her chest was rising and falling as she dramatically took deep breaths, and I watched as her eyes darted frantically downwards. I followed her gaze, and everything stopped.

I was grasping her arm tightly. I could see the shaping of a horrendous purplish bruise forming beneath my fingers. My breath caught as the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks. I was harming her. I was the unknown predator in the room. She was screaming in pain because of _me_.

I'm sure my face didn't do any justice to how horrible I felt. I quickly released her arm, and she blew out a quiet breath of relief, immediately brushing the fingers from her opposite hand against the impending injury. I watched, horror-struck as she massaged the red and purple skin, before lifting her head. I noticed that her eyes were no longer panicked. They were soft, the brown boring into my chest as I continued to gape at her.

What had I done?

"Edward?"

The quiet, unsure sweetness of her voice sent me in a frenzy. She was staring at me, her eyes full of question and hope. I glanced down at the large bruise on her arm, and jumped up off of the bed at the very sight of it. She mirrored my actions.

"I- I can't- I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry," I moaned miserably, dropping my head. She took a deep breath, and her heart began to thump quicker and quicker in her chest. I gulped down my pain. She was finally afraid of me.

I began to move towards the window, not looking up for her reaction. I needed to get away from here. The blood was rushing to her face, a gesture that only confirmed my assumption that she was frightened of me. The venom was rising, pooling in my mouth as the monster inside of me tried to push its way back to the top. _Monster_. That's exactly what I was. That's exactly who I was when I was hurting her.

"Edward, please," she sobbed. I froze, and my feet became paralyzed to the spot where I stood. I didn't raise my head, but I could clearly hear the choked tearing in her voice, and the loud sniffles she produced every few seconds. I closed my eyes, trying to control myself. I shook my head, wanting to desperately express my sorrow and guilt for what I had just done. She misconstrued my action, and another loud wail erupted from her throat.

"I'm fine. It's just a bruise. Just please .." she begged, her voice dropping to an agonized whisper. I couldn't help it, her enticing aura forced me to look up, and I practically melted at the sight of her tears. "Don't go. I don't want you to go."

I contemplated this for a moment. I would be the first one to give Bella whatever she wanted. I simply couldn't say no to her, but I had to this time. It was for her own good. If I ended up staying, I feared that a bruise on her arm would be the least of her worries. I wasn't in control of myself right now. I couldn't stay- no matter how painfully bad I wanted to.

I gulped, and gave her one last meaningful grimace, before yanking the window open and descending from the high distance of her window. I landed on my feet gracefully, and wasted no time in hurtling myself away from the tantalizing scent that was evading and haunting my senses. I could hear her cries in the distance, but they rang loud in my ear as if she were standing in front of me. I cringed, but didn't turn around.

I stopped running when the air was clear of strawberries and freesia, and soothed into a fresh woodsy scent. The soft, thumping hearts and the mild scent of animals danced around me, but I couldn't take the time to appreciate it as I normally did. I sank to my knees in the dirt, ignoring the fact that it had previously rained, and the soil beneath my knees was moist.

I clawed at my face, closing my eyes tightly. I tried telling myself that it was just a bruise. It was a silly, purple mark that would throb when she touched it. It would be gone within days. It wasn't that big of a deal. But I couldn't convince myself. I groaned loudly, remembering the sound of her scream as my hold became too tight for her. What was I even_ thinking_? I couldn't even fathom why I had thought it to be a good idea to kiss her.

My lips tingled ridiculously at the memory of our mouths connected. This brought me a diminutive amount of comfort. I couldn't stop the tugging at my lips as I recalled the way her lips moved eagerly against mine, or the sound of her heated moan as I gently rubbed my fingers against her exposed skin. Some kind of cheesy, immature happiness exploded within me, and I couldn't deny it's presence. It was the best feeling in the world. And I wanted to feel it again. And again.

But I couldn't.

Because I couldn't risk the idea of every kiss leading to a bruise. I couldn't handle another scenario like earlier.

My phone buzzed annoyingly in my pocket, and I ignored it. I leaned my head back against a boulder, and stared at the sun. After a few tries, the buzzing stopped. I was watching the clouds now. I almost chuckled at the sight. Sunlight in Forks wasn't something that usually lasted. It was only a matter of time before the gray took over the brightness.

A few seconds later, the buzzing restarted. Feeling frustrated, I pulled it from my pocket and glanced at the name on the screen. 'Alice'. I flipped it open, holding it to my ear and muttering a sharp '_what'_.

"Bella is going to follow you."

I abruptly rose to my feet, scanning the area, but feeling foolish immediately after. I would've caught her scent from miles away. She wasn't anywhere near here at the moment. I sighed heavily.

"She doesn't know where I am, Alice."

"She's planning on searching until she finds you," Alice explained. I closed my eyes, raising one hand to my face and pinching the bridge of my nose. I groaned again, and Alice continued. "And unless you're too thick to understand what this means- she's going to be alone, in the woods, probably roaming it for hours with her injured leg and-"

"I get it, Alice. I'll go find her. When will she be nearing me?" I asked, suddenly feeling fidgety. Though I had regained a minuscule of my composure, I wasn't completely certain that I was fully in control of myself yet. None of that mattered though. Of course, Bella would follow me. She had absolutely no intelligence when it came to common sense. She was just making this exceedingly difficult for me.

"Alice?"

She gasped loudly from the other end.

"She disappeared. I can't see her anymore. Go, Edward!"

That was all I needed to hear. I was sprinting towards the opposite direction- mentally cursing myself for my idiotic decision to leave in the first place. Bella was incredibly stubborn, and from her shaken sobs and distraught pleads, I should've figured that she would come after me. Now, she was really in danger. I don't have a clue what it was that kept blinding Bella from her visions, but it was beginning to panic me.

I was faintly picking up her scent now, and I shook with relief. I was growing closer to nearing her, letting out another impatient sigh when I heard her normal, steady heartbeat. I was so perfectly attuned to it now. My nostrils flared when the scent became stronger with each footstep. The burning sensation traveled through my nose, to my throat where the monster inside of me was awaken for the second time today.

"Edward?" I heard her call loudly. My body was pressed against the back of a tree, and I could feel her very presence surrounding me. I craned my neck over a messy bush, and sighed in relief when I saw her wobbling with her crutches into the small clearing. I recognized the scene in front of me. It was the same small clearing that she had came to when she had first seen me. She found comfort on that very rock over there, while I stood over here like the coward I am.

I inhaled one sharp breath, before stepping out from behind the tree. She had her back turned to me, but when she heard the rustling of the leaves under my shoes, she turned her head sharply to meet my gaze. She gasped breathlessly when she saw me, but I could see the relief in her face as well. She raised her crutch, and took one weak step toward me.

"Bella, you shouldn't be out here. It's dangerous," I scolded softly. She glared at me, shaking her head stubbornly.

"I wanted to find you. I need to apologize."

My jaw dropped. This girl was definitely something. I hurt her. I was on the verge of killing her- and _she_ feels the need to apologize to_ me_?

"Yes, I partially take some of the blame," she answered, as if reading my thoughts. I had to bite back my chuckle as she continued. "My reaction the kiss was less than appropriate. I shouldn't have been so .. demanding. It wouldn't have pushed you into that."

I was shaking my head furiously. I wanted to yell at her. I wanted to take hold of her shoulders and shake her until she realized that absolutely none of this was her fault. It's not her fault I'm a vampire. It's not her fault that I'm inhumanely strong. It's not her fault that I can't kiss her or be near her without wanting to take her life. This was my fault. My existence was to blame.

But she _is_ Bella, and she is stubborn. She met my furious glare and head shakes with a furious glare of her own, and violent head nods. I sighed, exasperated. I closed the distance between us, taking three long steps that probably seemed like a sprint to her. She was breathing heavily as she tipped her chin up to look at me. When she my angry glare, she lowered her head.

I grabbed her chin, forcing it upwards as she locked eyes with me.

"None of this is your fault," I assured her, speaking each word slowly and clearly to illustrate my point. "Do you understand me?"

She sighed, and nodded, her chin still being held in place by my fingers. I released her face, and sighed as well, taking a step backwards from her. She crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned up against the rock, pushing the offending crutches away from her body. I took this moment to drink in her appearance. She had rolled down the sleeves to the flannel, covering the bruise I had created earlier. She had also changed into a pair of jeans, and I felt the urge to applaud her for her common sense on the weather.

"Edward?"

I lifted my head to look at her, and she blushed. I gulped down the venom, and raised my eyebrows expectantly.

"Why did you .. you know.." she began, stumbling with her words as the beautiful, but delicious blush grew more prominent on her pale cheeks. My eyebrows burrowed in confusion.

"Why did I what?"

She sighed loudly, raising her hands to her face to cover her eyes. Her palms fell over her mouth, so her words were muffled, but I heard them clear as she muttered them, obviously embarrassed.

"Kiss me. Why did you kiss me?"

I was silent for a moment. Why _did_ I kiss her? There was no doubt that Bella was the most important thing in my life. I would do anything and everything for her. But until she had arrived in Forks, I never really thought about her like _that_. My obsession with her was strictly based on the fascination of her ability to block me from my mind, and the mysterious calling of her blood. I was also amazed by her beauty and intelligence as a toddler, but I wasn't a pervert. I had never once thought of Bella like_ that_.

Until now, that is.

She was a beautiful child, but an even more gorgeous young woman. In my eyes, she was easily the most attractive woman in the world. She had a natural, pure grace to her that you didn't find among most seventeen year old girls. Unfortunately, in this era, natural and pure wasn't something that teenage boys were drawn to. Those kind of qualities were very well respected in girls around the early 1900's, which was right around the time I was born.

Bella allured me. She had awaken so many new feelings that I had yet to have, even as a human. The familiar feeling of longing for her had been changed drastically over the last few weeks. Oh, it was definitely still a longing feeling, but I didn't like the way my body longed for her. And the kiss today had proved it.

So why_ did _I kiss her? I had no reason.

"Edward?" Her voice was dejected and small. My chest tightened as the hurt was apparent on her face. I quickly moved closer, scooping her into my arms and cradling her head against my chest. She hastily attempted to pull her head away, but my vice grip was too strong. I took her face with both of my hands, and studied her face. She was angry.

"You can't just ignore a question like that, and possibly think it's okay to hold me," she snapped. I was startled by the annoyance in her voice, but it amused me. I hid my smile.

"Sure I can."

"Why can't you just tell me? Do you not like me in that way? Are you trying to spare my feelings?" she asked, her tone softening at the last question. I took a minute to appreciate the small moment of enjoyment I had just had. I ran a hand over my face, and groaned loudly.

"Bella," I spoke harshly. "It doesn't matter what kind of feelings we have. Don't you see how dangerous that kind of relationship would be? How wrong it would be? I cannot be with you like that. I shouldn't have kissed you. It was a mistake," I explained. I cringed at my choice of words, and watched as her face fell. She gulped, her eyes glistening as they stared back at me.

"So .. you regret it?"

"No, I don't regret it. But it shouldn't have happened. You saw what happened. I will not risk the chance of that happening ever again."

She shook her head.

"I think you could stand it. I think with some practice, you could-"

I growled loudly, interrupting what I knew would quickly become a rant.

"We're not discussing this," I spat, a tone of conclusion in my voice. If it were possible, her face fell even more. The wild thumping of her heart was increasing, and I wanted to rip my own self to shreds when I saw a tear fall from her left eye. She lowered her head quickly, probably in an attempt to hide her disappointment from me. What was left of my dead heart was throbbing. She really _did_ have romantic feelings for me.

"Bella, I-"

I stopped mid-sentence. The words of apology, and hidden defeat that I was planning to recite flew out of my head as new voices filled it. There were so many, and they were coming from all different directions. I quickly reached out and grabbed Bella, pulling her closer to me.

"What's going on?"

I didn't answer, but wrapped my arms tighter around her small body, becoming wary of all the voices around me. Whatever they were, they were speaking to each other through their minds, plotting a plan of death. I heard the word _bloodsucker_ in one of their minds, and I gasped. They were plotting_ my _death.

That's when the smell hit me. It was putrid, and strong. So strong, in fact, that I had to hold my breath. The foul odor was stabbing at my already weakened nostrils, and I had to bite back the gag. Bella was staring up at me, her face contorted into worry and shock. I gripped her tighter, taking a protective stance in front of her as they finally came into view.

They descended from the forest, lining up one by one.

Five incredibly large wolves, eyes wide and teeth snarling. My fists clenched into tight balls.

This wasn't good.

* * *

**So, this was more a filler chapter to explain the extent of Bella and Edward's relationship for now. Don't kill me. Only time will tell what's in store for these two. :D And I know a lot of you were asking me not to, but I had to make Edward all depressed and leave. I'm trying to keep true to the characters to the best of my ability, and that was definitely an Edward move. We all saw it coming. But hopefully, I redeemed myself, haha. Anyway, thanks for the reviews! Keep them up, please! They actually _do_ motivate me to write more often. **


	18. Her Own Nightmare

**Bella.**

To say that I was crushed would be a large understatement.

The kiss, though it was roughly interrupted by Edward's desire to kill me, was simply mind-blowing. For the few short moments before his grip had tightened, I had developed an unattainable attraction to him. I almost felt giddy, but this was probably a normal feeling. Vampires aside, I was a typical seventeen year old girl kissing the boy that I had a crush on.

I was so stupid to actually make something of it.

Edward was so adamant on not being with me in that way. He didn't want to listen, he didn't want to _try. _I tried to ignore the pathetic traitorous build up of water behind my eyelids, and the ridiculous quivering of my bottom lip. My chest was throbbing, my heart thumping wildly as I experienced my first taste of teenage rejection. Somehow, I wasn't exactly sure that being rejected by Edward Cullen was a good way to start. You just can't go anywhere but down from that.

It wasn't going to change anything, though. Even though I was severely hurt by his apparent disapproval of that kind of relationship, I wasn't going to dwell on it. Edward and Alice were far too important to me to lose over some silly adolescent crush. I guess I would just have to grin and bear it.

Edward suddenly yanked me closer to him, and I was slammed into his cold, hard body. I winced at the contact, my leg twisting uncomfortably behind us. I sucked in the whimper, and snapped my head to look up at him. His face was tense, his jaw clenched and eyes wild. Something was definitely going on. I took a shaky breath.

"What's going on?"

He ignored me, but his arms grew tighter. I swallowed, immediately remembering the accident that took place earlier. He stopped his tightening though, until I was locked securely into his indestructible embrace. He stiffened beneath me, and my heartbeat grew quicker and quicker. Fear was trickling through my body as I stared up at his face again. He looked down at me for a moment, lingering on my eyes, before tightening his grip and pushing me behind his back, still holding onto me.

I tried to shimmy out of his lock, but it was no use. I leaned my forehead up against his back, and if it were possible, his grip became even more demanding. He was shaking with what felt like anger as he cocked his head backwards. I watched his eyes move from a deep gold, to a solid black within two seconds.

"Don't move an inch. Stay behind me," he scolded, and I immediately sank back into a cower. He sighed, the shaking in his body growing more prominent. "Please, Bella. Now is not the time to be stubborn."

I could see the desperation in his eyes, and didn't argue. He stood up straight, and it wasn't until his let his arms fall to his sides in fists, that I was able to sneak a look at what was going on. I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming as my eyes finally adjusted on the scene in front of me.

Five wolves, five abnormally large and growling wolves were circling us. Their eyes were focused solely on Edward, the snarls and snapping of their teeth becoming more louder by the second. I was shaking as I latched onto Edward's torso while large tremors of terror fell upon me.

"You're wrong."

I jumped, startled as I heard Edward's voice ring loudly and angrily among the murderous snarls. I took a breath, before pulling my face from the fabric of his jacket, and looking around to see who he was speaking to. The only two humans here were us, and his eyes were focused specifically on the russet colored one in the middle. The wolf growled loudly, and took a menacing step forward. I gripped Edward tighter.

"You don't have the faintest idea of what's really going on!" Edward spat viciously. I narrowed my eyes, looking back and fourth between the wolves and Edward. They had stopped moving closer, except for the middle one, and Edward was speaking to _them_. I was beyond confused. One, they weren't speaking. Two, they were _wolves_. But then again, I _was_ gripping a vampire for safety ..

"I would _never_ harm, Bella," he bellowed loudly, and I couldn't stop the pathetic whimper that I let out. Edward's arms tightened. "My family and I are looking into the situation. But I'm already well aware of the other vampire. I know you are too, I heard of your _pleasant_ encounter with him yesterday."

Another vampire? A situation? I sighed, the frustration finally meeting up with me. I decided to be done trying to decipher things at the moment. I'd wait until Edward and I were alone to interrogate him. Well, that's if these hungry looking wolves decided to let us go.

"Yes," Edward suddenly seethed. "You may stop by later to make sure she's still alive. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be leaving. I think Bella has had enough excitement for the day."

Without another word, he turned his back to the wolves, leaving me completely exposed. The air left my lungs as I quickly scrambled to Edward's side, making sure he was holding onto me tightly. I could still hear them snarling. They were still behind us, watching us make our dramatic exit. I was so confused, so clueless as to what was going on. My head was spinning, and I felt dizzy, but Edward kept a firm grip on my shoulder, helping me move swiftly across the forest floor.

"What the hell is going on, Edward?" I squealed. "The wolves are coming back later?"

He chuckled once, but the humor didn't reach his eyes. He sighed as he looked down at me as we walked. I was limping slightly, due to the forgotten crutch that was still rested against the boulder back by the wolves. Edward must've realized there was no way I was letting him go back there, because he stopped walking and silently knelt to the ground.

"Hop on."

I rolled my eyes. "You're not going to give me a piggy-back ride. I'd break your back."

"Humor me," he replied, adding a quick eye roll. I sighed, and locked my arms around his neck. He stood, and hooked both legs around his torso, gently holding my injured leg to his body. We continued to walk, only slower, but he hadn't answered my question. I was trying to be patient, because I could see that he was extremely frustrated at the moment, but I felt as if I were about to burst with curiosity.

"Edward, please tell me what's going on," I pleaded gently into his ear. He shuddered, but didn't loosen his grip on my body. I watched his adams apple take a plunge, before he opened his mouth to respond.

"Please don't be offended," he requested in a small voice. "But you make the worst friends possible."

I frowned, my confusion only growing. I wished he would stop talking so cryptically. I sighed, feeling exasperated. He must've noticed my frustration, because he let out a sigh as well.

"A vampire is after you, Bella. A sadistic, powerful vampire that knows a lot about you."

His tone was angry and frantic, but I couldn't find the strength inside of me to calm him down. If anything, I needed to be calmed. Every muscle in my body was tensing, and an unpleasant chill of horror ran throughout my body. My suspicious were correct. There was going to be another death by a vampire's hand, but it wasn't going to be Uncle Charlie, it was going to me. I was shaking with fear, and so wrapped up in my own nightmare, that I didn't hear Edward's words of comfort.

"Please be calm, Bella. He isn't going to touch you. I promise that you're safe with me. Nobody will _ever_ harm you again, do you understand me?" he asked cautiously, craning his neck back to look at me as he paused. I gulped, still not ridding of the fear, but nodded quietly. He smiled softly at me, and nodded.

"Good girl."

I grinned weakly, and dropped my face into his shoulder. I still had so many questions, but I couldn't get over the idea that somebody was trying to kill me. Edward turned his head, and gently pressed his cold lips against my forehead, brushing away the bangs so he could better access the skin. I smiled against his shoulder, and sighed in content.

"Edward?" I mumbled, suddenly finding the energy to fire questions at him.

"Hm?"

"How were you speaking to the wolves? They weren't talking. I didn't think your power could extend to animal minds as well."

"They were talking, they just weren't using their tongues," he replied smoothly. I groaned, yanking my face away from his shoulder. He was smirking, and I had a feeling that he was doing this on purpose.

"Will you stop hinting things, and just tell me? I've recently been hit by a truck, was almost kissed to death," I ranted, and he cringed, but I continued. "I was just circled by extremely large and terrifying wolves, and now I've found out that a vampire wants to kill me. I've had it pretty rough lately. I don't have the wits to follow your _suggestive explanations_," I snapped. I was surprised at my own anger, but I figured to keep up with the charade. Maybe I'd get some decent answers if he felt guilty enough.

He inhaled sharply with a quiet hiss.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I melted instantly at the tone of his voice. He sounded so defeated and deflated. I sighed, and breathed in his scent, silently urging him to continue. "It's driving me crazy- knowing that there's potential danger to you out there. I know how noble you are, and that's what frightens me. I fear that you'll take things into your own hands. And I wouldn't be able to handle it if anything were to happen to you."

I was speechless. If anything, my feelings for Edward just hit their ultimate. I didn't know what to say to him, so instead of words, I pushed aside the collar of his t-shirt and jacket, and kiss the cold, smooth skin on the side of his neck. He leaned, and pressed another gentle kiss to my forehead, leaving a tingling sensation once he pulled away. I'm sure he could feel the erratic thumping of my heart that was pressed against his back. It was almost embarrassing.

It was quiet as we neared the house. I think we were both appreciating the silence. All of the other events of today had been pushed to the very back of my mind, and I didn't let them resurface. My rejection and broken heart, the terrifying wolves, the sadistic vampire- they all took a backseat to Edward, who was the most important thing to me right now.

We entered the house, and I was extremely grateful that I had a few more hours before Uncle Charlie arrived home from work. The questions still fluttered around my head furiously, but I didn't want to ask them just yet. I didn't want to upset Edward, so I opted to wait until he was ready to talk about it. He carried me straight upstairs, and sat me down on the bed, fluffing the pillows around my back to make me more comfortable. When he was done, he took a seat next to me, and inhaled sharply.

"They aren't regular wolves. I guess you could call them werewolves," he suddenly began. I gasped loudly, and shot up, but he placed a hand on my shoulder and eased me back down.

"But werewolves aren't real, and-" I stopped myself, realizing that at this point- anything was possible. If vampires could exist, that just opened a whole door of limitless possibilities. Werewolves _could_ exist, and witches, and fairies, and unicorns. This didn't bring me any comfort, but I sucked in my disbelief and nodded. I cleared my throat loudly.

"So, the wolves .. they know who I am? Are they trying to kill me too?"

He shook his head.

"The wolves do know who you are. They take it upon themselves to watch over the innocent humans of La Push, but when they heard of your story, they got involved immediately. And no, they're not trying to kill you. They're going to protect you, like I am," he explained softly. I nodded, trying to digest every word separately.

"Why did they circle us and snarl at us like that today, if they're trying to protect me?" I asked in a small voice. Edward chuckled, and threw his arm around me, drawing me closer to his body. I felt an instant pull of safety.

"Silly Bella. They weren't snarling at you, they were snarling at me. They thought I had brought you out into the forest to kill you. They're not a big fan of the vampire species." I nodded, and leaned into his shoulder. The slumber was dawning upon me, and I tried to fight it. I only had a few hours alone with Edward, before Uncle Charlie came home. I knew he'd make up some excuse to leave, but I didn't want him to. I wasn't going to feel safe if he ever left my side tonight.

"Do you know who the vampire is? That one that's trying to kill me, I mean."

He nodded, and muttered something under his breath that I couldn't hear. I didn't bother to ask him to repeat himself, because I knew he wouldn't. It was silent again for a few minutes, and I felt all of those other problems resurfacing, one that stood out among them all. I knew it shouldn't be my main concern, but what can I say? I'm a teenage girl.

"Edward, do you .." I began, but stopped. The blush seeped to my cheeks, and I suddenly felt extremely humiliated just thinking about asking. A cool finger leaned down to tip my chin upwards, and I yanked my face away. The last time I had been in this position, I had to go roaming around the forest in search of him. I didn't want to risk that again. I didn't want to risk more rejection, because I wasn't sure if I had the strength to withstand it again.

"What is it, Bella?" he asked softly. I think he understood what I was about to bring up.

"Please don't push me into asking it, Edward. I don't want to, " I mumbled stubbornly. He sighed, but admitted defeat with a sharp nod. I laid my head back against his shoulder, and suddenly sleep didn't sound like such a bad idea. Edward leaned down, and began to hum a gentle tune into my ear, and I smiled softly, nestling my face into his shirt. His scent, the lullaby, and my overwhelming pull to sleep was what began to knock me out.

Until a loud, sharp and obnoxious knock sounded from the downstairs door. I groaned, and moved to sit up, but Edward stopped me.

"Stay here, I'll get it," he suggested, and was by the door before I had time to protest.

"No, Edward, wait! What if it's-" I stopped, and let out a soft 'hmph'. Edward was already opening the door, and I could already hear their voices trailing up the staircase. Whoever it was seemed very angry, and I sighed, retreating and moving myself into a sitting position. I didn't want anybody to get the wrong idea by Edward answering the door. I padded across the hardwood floors, and winced my way down the staircase, until the front door came into view.

"Bella, I thought I told you to stay upstairs," Edward scolded gently. But I wasn't looking at him.

All I saw was his face, before everything hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't know how I knew, but I did. The sun moved from the clouds, and flashed upon his russet colored skin. _Russet_. I gasped loudly, and took a few steps back. My ankle caught the bottom of the last step on the staircase, and I fell sharply onto my lower back. Edward rushed forward immediately to help me up, but my eyes stayed focus on Jacob.

"You," I muttered, completely astonished.

Why did I _always_ make friends with mythical creatures?

* * *

**Yikes, sorry for the wait. I've stumbled upon a difficulty in this story, which happens with everything I write. But I usually just see where my mind takes me, and this is what happened. I will admit that it's not my best writing, but I hope it's decent enough for you to overlook. And if you're confused about the wolf situation, you're supposed to be. I will reveal all of that during the next chapter, in Edward's POV. That's it for now. Review please! :D**


	19. 1 Minute Of Forgetfulness

**Edward.**

I was a wreck. I was a frantic, desperate, overprotective wreck. Keeping Bella safe was nearly impossible, considering the fragile human could probably find danger in her unconscious slumber.

If I thought that shielding her away from Felix was enough, I now had those disgusting mutts to worry about as well. I didn't doubt the fact that they had Bella's safety at heart, just as the rest of my family and I did, but their rage was uncontrollable. If Bella said something to make them angry and they phased anywhere near her, she'd most likely be critically injured.

And that was simply unacceptable.

Looking down at the small, bewildered human on the floor, I could only think of how inhumanely cruel and sadistic somebody would have to be to want to harm Bella. Though I probably have absolutely no right to speak, considering the fact that I myself had contemplated slaughtering her once or twice as well. But in my defense, those unwanted thoughts were extremely involuntary.

She was heaving. Her chest was rising and falling dramatically as her breaths blew out husky and loud from her trembling lips. She was staring wide-eyed and frightened up at the bronzed skin boy before her, no doubt piecing everything together in her mind.

"You," she gasped quietly. I paused from my current position to help her up, and focused on Jacob's thoughts. He was still mentally cackling about her tumble. I rolled my eyes. How immature.

"Me," he mocked in fake horror. She scowled and latched onto my arm, her frail fingers wrapping around my wrist for support. I gently pulled her up, and she immediately cowered into my side. Jacob growled lowly.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Bella. It's only me."

She snorted into my shirt, only causing Jacob's frown to increase. I bit back the urge to laugh in his face, however badly I wanted to.

"I know what you are. There's everything to be afraid," she responded calmly, shoving an shaking, accusatory finger in his direction. His eyes widened for a brief second, before he snapped them angrily in my direction.

_You stupid leech! You told her what I was?_

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at his absurdity.

"No, mutt, she figured it out on her own. She's very perceptive, you know," I answered, adding a soft chuckle. Nobody found the humor in it besides me, but Jacob seemed to relax a small bit. He ducked his head, craning his long neck to look at Bella's face, which was cast downwards at the hardwood floors. He threw a soft, pleading glance at me.

"Hey Bells, it's not like anything has changed. I'm the same I was when we met," he suggested, the begging and desperation coated heavily in his tone. She sighed, and lifted her head, moving closer to me.

"That was before I knew that you could probably eat me," she snapped back, and I pressed my lips together in a tight line to stop my guffaws. Oh, this was going extremely well. I wouldn't have to worry about the wolves harming Bella if she held a prejudiced grudge against them. It would make things extremely easier on my behalf.

"Oh, because that makes a ton of sense when you're cuddling up to the blood-sucker there! Be for real, Bella. I'm not going to eat you," he spat angrily. I could tell his anger was rising, and I squeezed Bella tightly closer to me. There was a chance that he could phase at any moment, and I didn't want to risk it.

_Give me an hour alone with her. She's not going to be convinced I'm safe if you're clutching her away from me like that._

"I'm not entirely convinced myself," I muttered lowly so that Bella could hear me, but Jacob did. He rolled his eyes, and shot me a wary glare. I sighed, and I felt my defense weakening. I didn't think an hour was so horrible.

I gently pried Bella away from me, and winced when she emitted a soft whimper of loss. I knew the feeling. I took her face between my palms, and pressed my forehead against hers. She stared up at me, completely entranced, and I couldn't help but smile.

"I have to go take care of some things. Jacob is going to stay with you. I'll be back in _exactly_ an hour."

She gasped loudly, and both of her arms were suddenly around my torso. I sighed once more, and unraveled them again. She moved forward to grab me again, but I stepped back.

"Jacob isn't going to hurt you, Bella. You'll be fine with him for an hour. I put my number into your phone, so if you want me back at anytime, just call me okay?" I asked, gently rubbing my thumb across her bottom lip. She nodded, and I watched as she quickly reached back to grab her cell phone out of her back pocket. I chuckled, and caught her wrist before she grasped it.

I raised it to my face, and ran my nose against the warm, creamy flesh that covered her pulsing veins. I traced the bluish green lines with the tip of my nose, and felt her body shudder against mine. Raising it slightly, I pressed my cold lips against it, and she sighed.

_Okay Romeo, go away._

I rolled my eyes, before leaning forward and kissing Bella softly on the forehead. She smiled weakly at me, before gulping loudly and limped her way into the living room, Jacob following.

"I'll bring you back a new pair of crutches," I called after her, and she smiled in agreement. I sighed, staring at her, not wanting to leave. But after a few seconds, and listening to Jacob growl at me in his head, I found the will to retreat out the front door.

It only took me a few minutes to get back to the house. Alice must've had a vision that I would show up soon, because the entire family was grouped in the living room, lounging on the expensive furniture that Esme had picked out.

Alice stood immediately, her thoughts racing in worry. A few times, she mentally pictured Bella being hit by a car, or being capture by Felix, and I winced at them. She noticed her mistake, a muttered a small apology, lowering herself back onto the sofa next to Jasper.

"Is Bella okay? Everything went blank again, and all I could see was you racing back here!" she exclaimed loudly. I sighed, and leaned up against the wall behind me.

"The wolves have taken it upon themselves to get involved. I guess a little extra coverage isn't going to hurt anything," I explained with a frustrated sigh. Jasper laughed uncomfortably from the white sofa, shaking his head.

"And you're unbelievably worried. It's all I can feel right now."

"Of course. Bella is alone with a werewolf right now. If she gets sarcastic or angry with him, it could very well set him off. He could phase, and then-"

_Edward, the wolves have been dealing with this for quite a long time. I think they've got it somewhat controlled by now. Bella will be fine._

I sighed, and felt sparks of calmness shoot through me. I threw thankful glances at both Carlisle and Jasper. They smiled in return.

"So what do we do about this Volturi dude? Just let him stick around and stalk Bella? It'll be a never-ending game for him. Those sadistic puppies enjoy stuff like that," Emmett piped in, leaning forward on the loveseat next to Rosalie, who had a permanent scowl attached to her face.

"This can't end well, no matter what we decide," Esme spoke softly from the other side of the room. I turned my attention to her. _Poor Bella. Why has all of this strife been put upon her shoulders?_ I gulped, running a hand roughly over my face.

She continued, despite my obvious discomfort.

"If we destroy Felix, the Volturi will become involved. If we don't destroy Felix, there's a large probability that he'll return to Volterra and inform them of Bella's existence. They'll just become involved anyway. It's really inevitable."

"I will not allow them to kill Bella," I promised in a dark, snarling voice. "They're not going to touch her," I assured myself. I spoke so confidently that even I believed myself. I had to believe myself, because I had to keep the promise. Nothing in the world has ever mattered to me as much as Bella does.

Losing her would end badly. A lot of people would suffer the consequences.

"For now, I think it's best that we just stay guard around Bella, and keep her covered at all times. Once we find out Felix's true intentions, we'll formulate a plan," Carlisle explained. I opened my mouth for a rebuttal. I already knew Felix's intentions. The cruel monster was going to drink from her, after a few rounds of disgusting torture. I had seen it in his head numerous times.

"Edward, please, son. Just focus on Bella for the time being. I imagine she's in quite a bit of shock after discovering our species?"

I snorted.

"I wish," I muttered, earning a hearty, husky laugh from Emmett. I couldn't help but smile at his loud guffaws. I glanced at the grandfather clock that stood in the corner and winced. I had already been gone for forty-five minutes.

"I'm going to shower, change and head on over to Bella's. If you run across anything, I want a call," I warned, taking the time to glance at each and every one of them, before ascending the staircase six at a time.

I showered quickly, entering and exiting at a speedy pace of three minutes total. Yanking the dressers open, I pulled on the first appropriate articles of clothing that I could find. Keeping up with appearances, I threw on a light gray jacket for weather purpose.

I was descending the staircase again, yelling a quick goodbye to my family as I sped through the door, and back through the familiar forests that led me to Bella's house. I still had four minutes to spare when I reached the off-white two story building.

_She's so pretty._

I stopped, frozen to the spot where I stood. Jacob's admiring thoughts of Bella were loud, but not expecting. He didn't know that I was outside. He was simply noting her beauty, which I couldn't blame him for. But for some reason, it irritated me greatly.

I heard Bella laugh loudly, and something inside of me snapped. When I had left, she was too afraid to even be in the same room with him- now she was laughing openly with him? I gulped, my fingers balling into ridiculous fists at my sides.

I crept forward, keeping my distance, but focusing my eyes. If I came too close, Jacob would catch my scent, but if I kept a fair amount away, I could observe quietly and unnoticed. I maneuvered myself until I could see the two of them through an opening in the curtains.

An unknown feeling of uncertainty shot through me. It was a new, uncomfortable and negative feeling that I don't think I've ever felt before. But it was growing by the second at the sight before me.

Jacob and Bella sitting closely on the couch, their hands joined in a fury and mess of their thumbs. I could only predict from their chants and hollers that they were playing thumb war. Jacob would do random things to distract her, such as reach up and play with a lock of her hair as soon as their thumbs were meshed together. A blush would creep to her face, and she'd become momentarily distracted. She'd scold him for "cheating" and demand a rematch. It was nauseating.

And I stood here while they repeated the circuit six times.

I couldn't find the strength to actually walk through the door, and I was surprised that Jacob hadn't noticed me by now. If he did, he didn't acknowledge me, which was actually smarter for him. I was surprisingly on edge at the moment.

But a small swarm of hurt rose within me. It was impossibly hard to hurt my feelings, but Bella defied a lot of impossible things lately.

Glancing down at my phone, I noticed that I was twenty minutes late. Didn't she notice? Didn't she care that I promised her an hour and wasn't there? Did my presence not matter with Jacob around?

I gulped, and closed my eyes tightly. I was being absolutely ridiculous. I should be embarrassed of my own thoughts.

But still, I couldn't stop the stinging feeling that was continuing to move freely throughout my body. It was increasing, building more and more every time Jacob would move closer or touch her in the slightest.

It would hit an ultimate every time Bella would laugh or touch him back. It could roughly be described as one of the worst things I have ever felt in my entire existence, and I was quickly realizing what it was.

I watched, still stunned as Jacob sniffed the air. His nostrils were large for a moment, before he discreetly turned to look in my direction. Once he saw me, he smirked quietly. My anger increased tenfold. Who the hell does he think he is?

_Jealous, leech?_

Jealousy. Oh, this was pathetic.

I was jealous. I was insanely, uncontrollably, and amazingly jealous. I didn't even know if I had a logical reason to be jealous, but I felt it. For the first time in my entire existence, that including my human life for sure, I was experience extreme jealousy.

And I hated it immensely so.

Jacob sighed, grinning at me once, before turning to Bella. He pretended to notice his watch, and gasped lightly.

"Hey Bella, where do you suppose Edward is? He was supposed to return twenty minutes ago."

I watched as Bella gasped loudly as well. Her cheeks tinged a deep red, and she slapped a hand over her face.

"I feel so horrible. I completely forgot about him for a minute," she confessed, embarrassment lacing her voice. Another wave of hurt washed over me, and I felt as if I were about to fall over from all of these depressing human feelings. _She had forgotten about me_. She was with Jacob, and god damnit, she had forgotten about me.

"Please don't tell him," she begged him quietly as she pulled out her cell phone. She quickly pushed a few buttons, her eyes scanning something, before she held it up to her ear. Jacob turned to grin at me again.

The generic telephone ring blasted loudly from my hand, but I didn't care. Jacob had begun to laugh quietly, but I didn't care. And Bella was now staring at me in complete horror, and as much as I didn't want to care, I did.

It might not have been a big deal to anybody else. I might've been overreacting and seething with jealousy, but I didn't care.

If just for one minute- she had forgotten about me.

* * *

**Okay, don't hate me for not updating for two weeks. I could lie and say that I've been incredibly busy, but I really haven't been. It took me forever to find out what I wanted to do for this chapter, and believe me, I pulled open a blank document every single day. The next chapter will be an easy go because I created a lot of new unopened doors this chapter. I promise the end conflict isn't as big as Edward is making it out to be. But this IS Edward we're talking about, haha. Anyway, I'm a few hours later, but happy St. Patrick's day! I didn't do anything special, just went to the cheap show at my mall and saw Bride Wars with a friend. But I hope you all had an awesome day, especially my Irish readers (whom I'm only aware of) who got the last two days off of school. :D Just a forewarning, the next update won't be until at the soonest- the first week of April. I'm heading to Pennsylvania next Thursday, and I'll be incredibly busy this entire week. With that, I'll close since it's getting longer than the actual chapter. Please, please review! :D**


	20. To Belong To Him

**Bella.**

Hanging out with Jacob was so natural. I couldn't fully explain it, but he didn't focus on any of the horrible things that were swirling around our heads at the moment. He confessed that he was very well informed of the blood-thirsty vampire that was stalking me, but he didn't let that linger in the air. After awhile, I stopped feeling like I was risking my life by hanging out with a werewolf. I began to feel like I was just hanging out with a friend, like a normal seventeen year old girl. And lately, normalcy was ridiculously rare.

But after mentioning Edward's tardiness, I was immediately alert. It's not as if Jacob was so wonderful that I completely forgot about Edward. That wasn't the case at all. I just didn't find any time to goof around like we were doing. I couldn't do some of these things with Edward. I could just picture him now, refusing me a simple game of thumb war because he was too afraid to break my fingers with his own. This kind of fun was a necessity that I haven't been granted since I stepped foot in Forks, and I wanted to soak it in.

Edward would understand that, right? I thought so at first. But as I stood here, eyes wide, mouth open, gaping at the gorgeous vampire that stood in front of my bay window, I was actually feeling pretty embarrassed. Mortified might be a better word. I didn't want Edward to feel unimportant for even a second, yet I had succeeded quite well in doing so.

I could feel the vibration in my throat, and felt his name tremble off of my whispering lips. I felt the familiar heat automatically rise to my face in shame, and cringed, lowering my eyes to hardwood floors. After a few seconds, I looked back up. Edward was gone.

"Oh," I breathed out embarrassingly, turning to Jacob. "Where did Edward-"

"Forgive me for being late, Bella. I had some things to take care of," he apologized politely, stepping into the room. I swirled around, and wasted no time in moving quickly to his side. I wrapped both of my arms nervously around his torso, and gripped him tightly. For a second, he was frozen, and I closed my eyes, hoping that he wasn't angry with me for losing track of time. After a few seconds though, his arms winded around my shoulders, and I released a heavy breath of relief.

"Did you have fun with Jacob? No more fears?" he asked quietly, his cool breath fanning onto the skin of my forehead. I sighed pleasurably, before looking up at him, resting my chin on his rock hard chest. I smiled slightly, my lips curling up.

"Yes, I did. No more fears. Maybe some laughter .." I trailed off, turning my head to throw a joking glance at the tan boy, but he was gone. I frowned, and craned my neck to search the room. I opened my mouth to question his absence, but Edward cut me off.

"He left as soon as I stepped into the room. He wanted me to tell you goodbye," he answered, looking down at me. I frowned again, my eyebrows burrowing in confusion. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

"Apparently, I stink so bad that he was on the verge of vomiting. I could say the very same thing for him as well."

I giggled, and after a few more seconds, I unwillingly retracted myself from his comfortable body. As much as I tried to push the guilt away from my head, I couldn't ignore it when it was shouting at me. I sighed heavily, and crossed my arms over my chest, avoiding eye contact with Edward.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that I forgot about _you_, I just meant-"

"Bella, you have absolutely no reason to apologize."

His voice ended with a subtle amount of finality that made it hard to conjure up a proper argument, so I let it go. It was silent for a few moments, the tension thickening as the seconds ticked by. I cleared my throat, and moved to take a seat on the couch.

"What kind of _things_ did you have to take care of?" I asked curiously, raising my eyebrow. He sighed, and eventually plopped down onto the couch beside me, still keeping a measurable amount of distance.

"Nothing of importance. Just a few chores at the house."

His answer sounded forced, and I knew that he wasn't telling me the truth. A streak of anger hit me yet again at his evasiveness. I wasn't a porcelain doll. I wasn't going to shatter at the hint of danger. So far I had made out with a vampire, and played thumb war with a werewolf. If I was going to go into hysterics, it would've been a hell of a long time ago.

He must've sensed my sudden hostility, because he sighed once more, and dropped his face into his hands. He looked so defeated that it frightened me. I scooted closer to him on the couch, and hesitantly dropped my head gently onto his shoulder.

He stiffened at the contact, but after a few seconds, his body relaxed, and his arm flung around to pull me closer. I could feel his steady breaths against my hair, and I smiled when I heard him inhale sharply.

"Thank you, Edward," I whispered, wafting in the woodsy but glorious aroma that he provided. His arm, which was holding onto my hip to keep me in place, tightened. The placement of his hand had exposed a sliver of flesh, and his cool thumb had begun to stroke the skin tenderly. I shivered, but ignored it, and curled up closer to him.

"For what?"

His voice was husky, and so low that it made my look up. I could've gasped at the intensity that was burning down at me, rendering me speechless. I bit my lip, frantically trying to remember what I had been about to say. His eyes never left mine, and I closed my eyes, hoping the loss of topaz would make me think a little bit more clearly. And it did.

"Everything," I answered quietly, and dropped my forehead again. The intensity was growing, but I didn't want it to. All it was doing was reminding me of something that I couldn't have. All I was doing was prolonging the hurt, and building myself up to something that wasn't going to happen. If I continued to participate in his staring contest, I wouldn't be held responsible for what my brain could tell my lips to do.

I was startled when I felt his cold index finger touch my chin. My heart was racing so fast, and I was positive that with his enhanced hearing, he would hear it. How embarrassing. I gulped, and surrendered, opening my eyes as his finger pushed my chin upwards toward his face, right back to the place that I wanted to avoid.

There it was again- that searing, astonishing intensity. He held it this time. A few of his other fingers moved up, locking my chin while his thumb moved swiftly over my bottom lip. I was positive that I was trembling, but I couldn't bring myself to stop. I closed my eyes once more, hoping he'd soon cease his actions. I had absolutely no strength to ask him to stop, so I was trusting that he'd do the right thing and stop us, like he did before. Like he always does- the right thing.

"Bella," he breathed out, and I jumped at the closeness. My eyes snapped open, and I gasped at the small amount of space left between our faces. I inhaled his heaving breaths, and he inhaled mine, while he once again possessed my eyes. This time, I was a goner. Everything was in his hands.

With another shaky breath, he closed the gap between our faces. I marveled in the sensation that was his kiss for the second time today. Everything I had been thinking about flew out the window as he pressed his lips harder to mine, tilting his head to gain better access. I enjoyed it, moving my lips against his with increased enthusiasm, for I knew that in mere seconds, he would end it and refuse me once again.

But he didn't. Seconds turned into minutes, and he was still kissing me. He would pull away occasionally to allow me some breaths, but after a few moments, he would capture my lips again, and a new level of happiness would build.

Just hours ago, Edward claimed that _this_ kind of physical relationship would be wrong. He had claimed that our kiss was mistake, and it wasn't possible for us to pursue _this_. Yet, here we were, our lips moving hungrily together, and I was still alive. In fact, I've never felt more alive in my entire life.

And even though I considered Edward to be completely unattainable to me, I held hope that he held feelings for me. I hoped that my desire of wanting to his, instead of just with him, was returned. If even small, I just hoped for _something_. Even if he weren't human, he still had manners. He was still a gentleman, and he wouldn't be doing this if he didn't feel romantic feelings for me.

With a sharp gasp, I pulled my face away, trying to regain my breath. I rested my forehead upon his, and caught his fierce gaze again. He didn't look regretful in the least, and I had to grin at that. He returned it, and moved his hand to cradle the left side of my face. I nuzzled my face into his palm, trying to fight the goofy, lovesick daze that I was sure was plastered on my face.

I had never been more happy in my life, and I let it show as I smiled stupidly at him for minutes, still catching my breath and letting my heart take a rest. But as the minutes dragged, his smile eventually dropped, and he looked stressed. I gulped. _This _was what I had been waiting for. _This_ was what I had been dreading.

"Bella," he whispered, his voice sounding agonized. I frowned at the sound. "We- we just- I can't, can't-"

I shook my head furiously.

"Yes, we can. You can," I began to argue viciously. He closed his eyes, and shook his head. I knew that his decision was already made, but damn it, I didn't care.

"Look at me, Edward," I demanded harshly. He refused, his face never faltering, and his eyelids never twitching. I growled, becoming increasingly angry with his brooding attitude. I grabbed his face with both of my hands, palming his cold cheeks with force. I moved forward, and shook him a bit.

"Please," I whispered, my voice softening. I felt him tense under my fingers, and his eyelids fluttered open. I gulped, momentarily forgetting yet again what I was going to say, but I caught up with my words soon enough.

"I'm fine. I'm not hurt. You just proved to me, and yourself, that we can be together this way. And I want to be together this way, Edward. I want it really badly. And maybe you don't want me that much, but give it some time, and I think you could eventually .." I trailed off when his face scrunched into fury.

"I don't want you that much? Bella, you are sorely mistaken. I've never wanted anything so much in my life," he promised, hissing the words through his teeth. My heart jumped at the new information. I gulped, and pushed myself to find the confidence to continue.

"Then what's the problem? I don't care that you're a vampire, okay? I don't care at all. You could be a zombie for all I care, and I would still risk my flesh and brains to be with you," I croaked. His lips curled in amusement at my analogy, but quickly folded back down into the frown that I hated so much.

"Bella, I can't risk it. I don't know what I'd do if I hurt you, I just, I-" I couldn't take it anymore. My hands, which were still holding his head, slid around the back and locked into his silky and damp hair. I yanked his face closer, ignoring the fact that startling a vampire couldn't end well, and pressed my lips to his again.

With as much passion as I could muster up in my body, I gave it to him. I let him have all of it. I let him have all of me, because it was his. I was his, whether he liked it or not. If he decided to give me himself in return … that was up to him, but I couldn't fight it anymore. I was elated when he began to kiss me back, but I could tell he wasn't as enthusiastic as he was before, but I was okay with that.

He gently discarded me off of him after a few seconds. He stared as I began to breath heavily again, before his face broke out into a breathtaking grin. Once again, my chest throbbed with excitement.

"If at anytime during this relationship you feel uncomfortable Bella, you must tell me at once, okay? I don't want to-"

I slapped my hands over his mouth, and grinned at him.

"Shut up," I instructed playfully. He smiled beneath my hand, and grasped my wrist, pulling it away. He was still smiling when he raised my hand to his lips, kissing my wrist lovingly. I sighed in contentment, and turned leaning back into his embrace.

I felt untouchable. I felt amazing, and giddy, and I wanted to tear up the room with my girly squeals of excitement. But somehow, I managed to hold myself calm, and eventually Edward and I fell into comfortable silence. It was nice.

Until I fell back into reality, and my mind, which had been swept of all dangerous activity, once again floated back to my possible impending doom. I gulped, and took a shaky breath, feeling more curious than ever.

"Edward?" I asked, craning my neck against his chest to look up at him. He smiled down at me in acknowledgement.

"Do I know the vampire that wants to kill me?" I asked nervously. It was a question I had been pondering a lot within the past few hours, and it always attached with a blurry face that would clear with the answer to the question. I waited patiently while Edward was most likely battling with himself, trying to decide whether telling me the truth was the best thing.

"Yes."

I nearly toppled off of the couch. My eyes widened again, and Edward nodded apologetically. He sighed, and his eyes squinted in defeat again. I hated that look. It made him look so vulnerable, so frightened, so _not_ my Edward.

"As a matter of fact, you know him quite well."

And just as I had predicted, the face was clarified, and I wanted to cry out at the horror.

Felix.

The face belonged to Felix, and it all suddenly made perfect sense. He was always so curious about me, and always wanted to linger on the subject of Alice and Edward. He was always so cryptic, and mysterious, and it was never a second thought.

But how could I be so dumb?

The cloak, the sunglasses, the hunger for information, not to mention the extreme creepiness- how could I overlook all of this? His face should've popped into my head the second that I discovered that vampires were real.

He was just so beautifully different from everybody else in Michigan. With his good looks, his generous behavior, his strange accent-

Oh my god. His accent.

His slight _Italian_ accent. Tears of horror immediately sprang to my eyes. Edward began to speak frantic words into my ear, but I couldn't hear them. I had thrown myself right into my own awaiting demise.

"Bella?" A new, gruff voice pulled me out of my own personal nightmare, and I looked up to see Uncle Charlie hovering over me. I looked around. Edward was nowhere to be found, which only made my tears fall faster.

"Bells, what's wrong? Are you okay? What's going on?" he demanded, his voice laced with concern. Through my tears, I watched his face contort into worry. His face. Oh, _Uncle Tommy_.

Oh. Oh, no.

The vision of him laying in a pool of his own blood, body sickeningly pale and face scrunched in horror flashed into my head. It had been the work of a vampire. A vampire that I had welcomed into my life with open arms.

I took one more look at Uncle Charlie, and finally found my breaking point. The porcelain doll I was claiming not to be earlier reared it's ugly face, and I screamed in a choked sob, and felt myself grow dizzy.

Hands were on me. Words were being yelled. I couldn't focus on anything but the massive headache that was forming. I tried to keep myself conscious, I tried to look around and ask for help, but before I could even process the action in my brain, a terrifying darkness enveloped me.

* * *

**Don't kill me! I know I'm about a month late with an update, but I became really busy and motivation was very rare. I apologize a million times! I hope this chapter makes up for it though. It's slightly longer than past chapters. I wish I could be the kind of writer who minimizes that scroll bar into a tiny little block, but those kind of impossibly long updates don't work with me. Not only will I lose interest in writing it, but I can guarantee I'll eventually break your interest too, haha. So I hope for now that this is okay.**

** Moving on to other things, don't forget to vote for the MTV Movie Awards nominees. Go to http://www(dot)mtv(dot). You can nominate Twilight for Best Movie, Rob is up for best Male Performance & Best Male Breakthrough Performance. Kristen is up for Best Female Performance & Best female Breakthrough Performance. Taylor is up for Best Breakthrough Male Performance. Cam is up for Best Villian, and Cam/Rob are up for Best Fight. And my personal favorite .. Rob and Kristen for Best Kiss. It's only voting for the nominees, but I thought I should promote it!**

**  
And while I'm promoting things, which I usually don't, I'm going to add a few more things. I spent the past few days reading some fictions, and I came across two that I absolutely fell in love with. _Wide Awake_ by AngstGoddess003, and _After All_ by Sunking. They're both rated M, and they're both AH/AU stories, but they're absolutely amazing. So if you're of appropriate age, and into AH stories, go check them out. They're fantastically written and I can't wait to see what happens with both them. That's it for now. Let's try to get the reviews to 300? That would make me extremely happy! :D**


	21. A Sudden Departure

**Edward.**

I didn't want to leave Bella. She was hysterical, and I was growing frantic with every growing second. She wasn't processing my words; she wasn't listening, and I couldn't shake her from the episode she was having.

I was seconds away from throwing her onto my back and whisking her away to my home, when I heard the distinct rumble of gravel outside of the house. Charlie was home, and I was positive he could already hear her screaming sobs, for his heart rate increased as well as the pace of his footsteps.

So I left. I didn't know what else to do. Bella was half-shouting 'Uncle Tommy', and I was certain that Charlie was going to look at this as a mental breakdown concerning his brother's death.

Which was partly true. It's just missing the morbid parts about how a sadistic vampire murdered him.

I could hear Charlie trying to soothe her as I fled from the house, cringing with each cry she emitted. And then I saw red.

I wasn't completely sure where the blinded fury sprang from, but I suddenly wanted to burn every single member of the Volturi into small piles of filthy ashes. The twisted, torturing game they were playing with Bella was going to come to an end.

And I would make sure of it.

Running back to the house, I didn't fail to forget how familiar this felt. A sense of déjà vu hit me all over as I remembered the last time I decided to leave. It was a situation similar to this. I was running away for Bella. Only this time, I wasn't going to stop myself.

I ignored Alice, Esme and Rosalie as they watched me fly into the house. I ignored Alice's desperate pleas to re-think my plan, and began to aimlessly shove amounts of clothes from my dressers into the small duffle bag I had placed on my bed.

"Edward, please just listen .. I saw what might happen if you provoke them. You might .." she stopped, but I could hear the word clearly in her mind. _Burn. You're going to burn. I saw a fight. I saw fire. Please._ I froze, my hand gripping the zipper of the bag. I closed my eyes, reconsidering the situation.

Bella's face appeared behind my eyelids. My beautiful, soft, warm Bella. My Bella, who because of the Volturi, was currently emotionally unstable. My decision was made.

Zipping the bag, I threw it over my shoulder, and glanced back at the three women, who were watching me with wide eyes. I sighed, and approached them. Esme was cringing, and I could tell that if it were possible, she'd be crying.

_Please come back to us, Edward. Don't get hurt. Think about what that'd do to us. To Bella. _I gulped, but nodded once at Esme in acknowledgement. I leaned in, and gently pressed my lips to her cold cheek. She weakly smiled at me, before throwing her arms around my neck and squeezing me tightly for a few seconds.

When she let go of me, I moved to Rosalie. Though I didn't have the same kind of relationship with Rose as I did with Alice and Esme, I still cared deeply for her. And I knew she returned my feelings, for she simply grinned. _Kick some ass._ I laughed softly, and repeated my actions, kissing her softly on the cheek.

Alice was next, and I was already wincing at the begging she was doing inside of her head. _I can see Bella. I can see her falling apart. Please stay, Edward. We can work this out another way. Please. _I sighed heavily, and brought the shaking vampire into my arms. She sobbed loudly into my shoulder, and I gasped as mental images of Bella clutching Emmett while she cried filled my head. Another one popped up where she was tossing and turning upon the black leather couch in my room. I closed my eyes, wanting to erase the visions, and clutched Alice tighter.

"You're just going to leave Bella here alone? With Felix here?" Alice asked skeptically. I softly pushed her away, and swung the duffle bag around my shoulder.

"Well, according to your visions, she'll be here quite often. I assume you're already planning on having her stay here?" I requested, and I knew she could hear the desperation in my voice. She didn't say anything. Her face remained blank, but she nodded, and I felt relieved that she wasn't going to put up a fight.

"Please keep her safe. She's my world."

Esme wailed suddenly, and I watched helplessly as Rosalie rubbed her back comfortingly. I was suddenly thankful that Carlisle was at work, and the other two male vampires of the house were absent. I didn't need anymore of a reason to slow me down.

_You don't have to do this, Edward. _

I kept my eyes on the ground, but shook my head, disputing the incorrect thought.

"Yes, I do. This has to come to an end. Bella's life and emotions are not a game that they can play with. I'm going to do whatever it takes to stop this," I explained firmly, praying silently that I wouldn't receive another argument from any of them. I was surprised when I saw all three of them nod in acceptance.

"Take care," I mumbled softly, before descending the staircase. They didn't follow me, and I sighed again as I heard Alice and Esme cry out at the same time. Throwing the back in the passenger seat, I drove the Volvo quickly to Bella's house, and was relieved to hear that the hysterical sobbing had stopped.

I parked the car at the end of the street, and quickly ran the short distance to the two-story white house. I scaled the tree, and moved to the edge of the branch that was closest to the window. I growled lowly when I saw that the window was cracked, and her intoxicating scent was wafting through the breeze. She was waiting for me to come back.

I opened it all the way, and as quietly as I could, pulled myself through.

I found her on the bed, sleeping. She was breathing softly through her open mouth. Her eyes were reddened, and slightly puffy due to the incessant crying she had done. Her hair was messy, and I could see a few damp strands that had probably been in the way of her tears at some point in time. She was miserable. That's exactly what I had to do this.

I leaned down, and not without hesitation, gently palmed her flushed cheeks. She didn't stir, so I continued to softly stroke her reddened face. She sighed peacefully, and I couldn't help the smile that plucked at my lips.

"You don't know how much you mean to me, Bella," I whispered.

"I'm going to stop this. I'm not going to let you be in pain ever again, I promise you."

Her heart rate was picking up, and I froze for a minute, fearing that she might be awake. But after a few seconds, she turned around and snuggled closer to my hand. Her heart returned to it's normal pace.

"I love you, Bella. Don't ever forget that," I concluded in a hushed tone. Suddenly, her soft breathing stopped, and I knew that she could hear me. I stood, dropping her hand, and jumping through the window before she could see me. As I hit the ground, I could hear her yawn loudly, before muttering a soft 'Edward?'

I swallowed down my desire to return to her side, and pushed myself back to my Volvo. I gripped the steering wheel tight, watching my strength so I didn't crush the material underneath my fingertips.

Three hours later, I was on an airplane. I opted for a first class seat, not wanting to be bothered by the lustful looks of the coach passengers. I had already endured enough of it as I was boarding.

My mind reeled in the possible outcomes of my appearance. I didn't know what I would have to do to convince them to leave my Bella alone. Obviously, my request was just going to confirm that Bella does in fact know of our existence. I could be punished for this. They might want to kill me for saving Bella from her impending doom as a child.

But ultimately, I knew what they wanted from me. I was far too precious to kill. When I had been there before, I had the option to leave. It was my choice. But now, I didn't think I'd be granted that opportunity.

They were going to subject me to a life far more worse than death. A life far more worse than _this_.

My phone vibrated nosily from my pocket, and I ignored the scowling balding man who sat a few seats away from me. I pulled the silver phone out, checking the caller ID out of curiosity. It was probably Jasper, Emmett or Carlisle, calling to scold me for my sudden departure. But it wasn't.

'Bella' appeared on the screen, and everything inside of my body plummeted. I didn't want to answer it. I didn't want to upset her, but I had to.

"Bella," I breathed her name as I pressed the green button. She inhaled a sharp breath.

"Edward, where are you? Are you coming back tonight?"

I frowned at the sound of her voice. She was panicking.

"No, Bella," I mumbled miserably. I could hear her fearsome gulp through the phone, and I hated it. I closed my eyes, mentally willing myself to tell her the bad news. "I'm not coming back tonight."

"Okay …" she sounded crestfallen. I sighed, but she continued. "I'm not acting insane anymore, Edward. It's safe, I promise," she joked heartily. I wanted a lighter. I wanted to douse myself in gasoline, and light myself on fire. I wanted to burn for what I was about to do to her.

"Bella .. I don't think I'm coming back. Ever," I whispered numbly. She gasped loudly, and closed my eyes when I heard her shocked whimper.

"What are you talking about? You-you were just here earlier! What do you mean you're not coming back? Where are you?"

My unnecessary breathing transitioned into fully heaving. I was shaking; trembling in my own self-pity and hatred.

"I'm on a plane. I don't know if I'll be coming back, Bella. I highly doubt it. I'm sorry."

There was it. Her estranged cry, proving that my assumptions about what a disgusting excuse for a body I was were correct.

"But why? What did I do? I'm sorry, Edward. Whatever I did, I'm sorry! If you don't want to be a couple, that's fine, I just don't want you to leave!" she wailed loudly, and I was sure the balding man could hear her from his seat, for he arched his eyebrows curiously at me. I turned my in my seat, and pressed my face against the window.

"You didn't do anything, Bella. I'm not leaving because of you, I'm leaving for you. I have to stop this. I'm not going to continue to sit here and watch them break you down and belittle you. It has to end," I explained roughly.

"Edward, please don't tell me you're going to see the bad guys. Please tell me your plane isn't going to Italy," she begged me, her voice faltering with the tears that I knew she was crying. I sighed.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

"No, Edward! Please come back! Please, I'll-"

"Alice will be there to get you soon. They'll keep you safe. But please make an effort to stay out of trouble for me."

"Edward," she whispered pleadingly. Closing my eyes again, I let my thumb slip to the red button that was only inches away from my face. I blew out a breath of uneasiness.

"Goodbye, Bella." I applied a small amount of pressure to my thumb, before the dial tone broke through the call. I was listening to the operator give me options on how to make another phone call. I shivered at the loss of her voice.

I let the phone fall into my lap, not bothering to close it. The robotic operator continued to prattle on about calling options, but I couldn't find the energy to close it and end the rant. Suddenly, my sense of good thinking and pride for this idea didn't appeal to me. I didn't want this now. I wanted to be in Forks. I wanted to be close to Bella.

I didn't want this anymore.

The intercom buzzed on, and the captain began speaking about how we were beginning our descent into our destination. I numbly lifted my face, turning to look out the window, where the sky was lowering before my eyes.

A dark gray sky came into view, and I could see the rain sprinkling the cement of the landing strip. I watched the few first class passengers stand, retrieving their carry-on belongings, and exiting the plane. I sat, ramrod straight, unable to move.

I could leave. I had time. I could turn around and buy a ticket back to Seattle.

I could hear the thoughts of an annoyed stewardess approaching me. She was going to ask me to leave. I felt her hand brush my shoulder, and I turned my head to look at her. I saw Bella's crying face. I saw the tears cascading from her bright, happy brown eyes.

I jumped from my seat, ignoring the protests of the angry woman, and leapt from the plane. I ignored the man that welcomed me as I stepped into the doors, his accent thick and almost hard to understand.

"Welcome to Volterra!"

This was going to end.

* * *

**Okay, I apologize for the short length, and the delay of the update. I say this a lot, but I have been extremely busy. I'm going back to Pennsylvania next thursday for my cousin's wedding. I've been working myself, trying to learn the Thriller dance by Micheal Jackson. Ugh, it's frustrating, but it's the things I do for my family.**

**So, last time I updated, I let you know that voting was going on for the nominees of the MTV Movie Awards, but now you can finally vote for the actual categories for the winners. Twilight is nominated for at least .. seven, I believe? So go vote. And if you find better suitors, that's fine, but you all better vote for them for best kiss. You cannot deny that kiss wasn't hot. Whew. And I won't post the link, because last time I failed majorly at the html, so just go to the MTV website, and navigate your way from there. **

**And I want to mention another story I've been reading. I love it so much, and I'm already devotedly hooked. Please go check out The Vampire In The Basement by michellephants. It's rated M and it's definitely AU, but it is so amazing and you won't be able to stop reading. That's it for now. Please review! I love your input! :D  
**


	22. Matchbox Memories

**Bella.**

Edward was gone.

For the second time in my life, he had left. Granted, it was for my own honor that he had suddenly uprooted himself and left down, I still felt numb. This day was becoming too much. I wanted to sleep. I want to close my eyes and sleep through this nightmare. And when I wake, I want Edward to be laying next to me, safe and happy.

If only, you know?

A loud, sharp knocking at my window brought me out of my own self-despair. I turned, and met the surprisingly sad eyes of Alice Cullen. Her tiny body was formed into a ball as she balanced against the window pane in a cat-like perch. Her golden eyes, the same shade as Edward's, were intense on mine, and I had to look away before my emotions produced even more tears.

Thankfully, she construed my actions as a welcome, and allowed herself in. I heard the quiet scuffle of her feet on my hardwood floor, before her weight sunk into the bed beside me. We sat motionless for a few seconds, just wallowing in the loss of someone important.

Loss. I was thinking as if he was already dead.

_Dead_. I felt the tears immediately begin to surface as my mind weighed that possibility. He was in Italy. He was alone, and he was going to confront the elite and powerful band of vampires that ruled their species. What other outcome could there possibly be? I knew Edward, and I knew his temper wasn't going to help him now.

I jumped when I felt Alice's cool fingers run against my neck. Through my blurry vision, I cocked my head towards her, and searched for the golden eyes that I've grown to love so much. I found them, but they weren't the same. They were darker, sadder, _miserable_. And I couldn't help but feel partly to blame.

Edward was gone because of me. I hadn't even thought of what it would do to his family. I had been too busy considering how _I_ was going to survive if he didn't. But I had failed to remember that I wasn't the only one in his life. There were six others, including Alice, at that house right now that would fall apart if anything should happen.

"I'm sorry," I groaned out in a measly whisper. My voice broke at the end, raising several octaves higher. The disgruntled noise pushed the tears quicker from my eyes, and they cascaded faster and thicker down my face.

"This isn't your fault, Bella. You have nothing to apologize for," Alice scolded me softly, wrapping her hand around my shoulder, and gently pulling me forward into her embrace. I shivered from the freezing temperatures of her skin, but oddly, I was also warm.

"Yes it is. He's gone to fight for _me_. I'm sorry, Alice. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry .." I began to chant as my sobs swallowed me whole. Her grip tightened, but the tremors didn't end. She rocked me back and fourth, and though the movement was meant to comfort me, it only nauseated me.

"Do you want to pack your things? Or should I do it?" she asked quietly. I took a shaky breath, and sniffled loudly before turning to face her. I squinted, ridding some of the tears that distorted my vision.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've already spoken to Charlie. You'll be staying at our house for the time being."

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore my trembling body. Everything was going downhill so fast. I had just discovered that I was responsible for my uncle's tragic death. Edward had left and is probably endangering himself right now on my behalf. And now I had to abandon Uncle Charlie and leave my home?

"No!" I exclaimed loudly. I caught instant hurt that Alice failed to hide. "It's nothing personal, Alice. But this is my home. I can't just leave Uncle Charlie alone here. What if Felix decides he wants a taste for more of the Swan blood? If I'm not here, he'll kill Uncle Charlie, I know he will-"

"It's not safe here, Bella. Nothing will happen to Charlie, we'll make sure of it. You need to come with me, though. Please. Edward asked me to make sure you were safe," she pleaded, her voice dropping to a weak whisper. I winced, and mentally cursed her for being so skilled. How could I deny her after that?

"Fine," I grumbled in my best irritated tone. I rose from the bed, and pulled out a small duffel bag. I wasn't sure how long I would be staying at the Cullen household, but I didn't plan on socializing with the world outside, so I didn't feel the need for so much clothing. I hastily yanked open my dresser, and began pulling out some of its contents. I packed four pairs of sweatpants, two pairs of jeans, a handful of t-shirts, and a few of my undergarments. When I was done, I looked to Alice for approval. She was frowning.

"I guess that'll do. Anything else you should need, the mall can help with," she answered, and I groaned. I zipped up my jacket, slipped my sneakers on, and swung the strap of the bag over my shoulder. Alice was already out of the window by the time I turned around. I sighed, and gave my room one last lungful look before I flipped the light off and trudged downstairs, using the railing as a substitute for my crutches.

Uncle Charlie was waiting for me in the kitchen. He noticed my slowness, and disappeared behind the wall, only to emerge a few seconds later with a brand new pair of crutches. I smiled thankfully, and positioned them under my arms.

"You're okay with this?" he asked skeptically. I hid my amusement, and nodded, trying to look enthusiastic, though I was annoyed and depressed.

"As much as I love it here- it'll be lonely in the day all by myself. Esme and I get along really well," I lied, making it seem like we were such close friends when I had only met her the other day. "She'll take good care of me."

Uncle Charlie nodded once, before his eyebrows burrowed, and I knew something was bothering him. I gave him a small smile, and he sighed heavily, showing his defeat.

"Are you and that boy together? That Edwin kid?" he questioned me curiously. I could hear the nervousness in his tone, and I fought back the giggle. I bit my bottom lip, and decided Uncle Charlie deserved a little bit of the sick, twisted truth.

"Yeah," I answered calmly. I saw his face drop, and he opened his mouth, probably to protest my future bedroom situations. "He's not in town, though. Surely Alice mentioned that he was in Italy visiting some .. friends? He'll be there for a few weeks," I explained. The jitters of my dishonesty was eating at me, but I had to keep up the charade.

Uncle Charlie nodded again, and I was thankful for the peace that graced his face once more. He let out a low whistle. "Italy, huh? He must be having a good time," he hinted, and I gulped. _Good time_. Yeah right. I forced a smile, and nodded.

"He is."

Uncle Charlie and I made a few more seconds of awkward small talk, before he helped me into the passenger seat of the police cruiser, and threw my things into the backseat. Apparently, Alice felt it was more appropriate for him to talk with Esme before I began my stay. I wanted to roll my eyes at the thought.

The ride was short and silent, and I appreciated that. In my head, Edward's departure haunted me. As much as I tried to rid it, it wouldn't. This was my fault. If he was killed, it would be my fault. I couldn't cope with that. I wouldn't cope with that.

Maybe I could do something. I could go to Italy, and stop Edward. If he hadn't already confronted the Volturi, I could convince him to come home. Or maybe .. I could ask them to take me instead. It was obvious that I was the source of all of this strife. If I let them have what they wanted- me- maybe they would leave Uncle Charlie, Edward and the rest of the Cullens alone.

I liked the sound of that.

I felt the car being moved into a slow stop, and I looked out the window at the scenery. I gasped loudly. An over-sized, gorgeous house sat in front of me. It looked as if it had three layers, the bottom black, middle wooden and the top had a matching black as the bottom. Large windows aligned the sides, only adding to the house's magnificent aura.

"Bella?" Uncle Charlie's voice brought me back. I gave him a tight smile, before grabbing my crutches and wobbling out of the car. Uncle Charlie took my bag, and he helped me up the front steps that led to the door. He raised a fist to knock, but the door bounded open, and Alice grinned widely from the other side.

"Bella, Chief Swan! Come in, come in!" she exclaimed, opening the door wider for us as she ushered us in. She took my bag from Uncle Charlie, before vanishing into a different room. I was amazed as I looked around. The room was huge, white and very spacious. Various works of art filled the walls that matched flawlessly with the vintage furniture that had been neatly arranged against the windows.

When Alice returned, she had Carlisle, Esme and Emmett with her. All three wore dazzling smiles as they greeted Uncle Charlie. They distracted him, making casual small talk. I could hear Uncle Charlie begin his complaint story on the deer that had almost walked in front of our car on the ride here as Alice yanked me gently into another room.

"Don't even think about it," she snapped harshly, her eyes narrowing. I drew back in surprise at her outburst.

"What? What am I not thinking about?"

"Don't give me that. I saw it. You're going to buy a plane ticket to Italy," she replied coldly. I dropped her gaze, and sighed as I studied the patterns on the carpet.

"I need to do something, Alice. I wouldn't be able to handle it .. if he .. if he-" I began, but choked on my words. I gulped down the sob. I could at least wait until Uncle Charlie was _out_ of the house before I broke into hysterics again.

"Bella, I'll see if something is going to happen. And when I do, we'll all be on the first plane there. All of us. But right now, he's not in danger. But you need to calm down, and stop thinking so rationally. You can't help the situation by yourself."

"Yes, I can," I defied her. She rose her eyebrows. "They want me, Alice. If I give them what they want, they'll stop their little game and leave everybody alone. It's that simple," I explained, craning my neck to check on Uncle Charlie, who was laughing at something Emmett had said. I gulped.

"It's that _simple_?" Alice mocked in horror. "Bella, this is your life we're talking about. It's not a special edition baseball card, or some first edition comic book. It's your god damned _life_. How can you think like that?" she bellowed, her voice raising with every word. I dropped my head once more.

"I'm sorry, Alice," I whispered. She sighed, and I expected another outburst, but instead I felt her cold arms wrap around my torso. I was surprised at first, but after a few seconds, I gave in and put all of my weight against her. She held me for a few minutes, before pulling away and giving me a weak smile.

"Charlie is leaving now. You should go say goodbye," she suggested. I nodded, and gripped my crutches as I moved to exit out of the room. She spoke my name before I could make it out all of the way, and I turned to face her.

"I will know if your plans get any more definite."

Her tone held amusement, but it wasn't hard to miss the clear threat. I sighed softly, and nodded before hobbling back to Uncle Charlie. He gave me a small hug, and the general 'behave' speech that parents often recited before their departure, and then left. I watched him out of the window, and waited until his cruiser was off of the road, before I turned to face the Cullens.

"Welcome, Bella," Esme greeted with a grin on her face. I returned the smile and nodded towards the other two.

"Thanks for letting me stay here."

"Of course. You're very welcome. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. And make yourself at home, please. I don't want you to feel like you have to-"

"Esme, I'm sure Bella could use a nap, don't you think? She's had a rough day," Carlisle cut in, and I breathed out in relief. Esme smiled warmly, before nodding.

"Emmett, show her to her room, please."

I watched as Emmett grabbed my small bag and dangled it on his pinky as we trudged up the staircase. He would stop occasionally and make sure I hadn't fallen, causing an immediate blush to rise every single time. He led me to an isolated room at the end of the hall. When he pushed it open, I gasped.

It was another large, spacious room, but it was full of items. A small bed sat in a corner, with a comfortable black leather couch on the opposite side. An entire wall was devoted to music. Stereos and CD players were stacked together in a shelf that housed tons of Cds. Another wall wasn't a wall, it was a window. It overlooked the forest, providing an eyeful of green. And as much as I hated the damp green blanket that covered this town, I had never seen anything like it.

"This is Edward's room," I concluded as Emmett lazily threw my bag onto the bed. He nodded, and moved to stand in the doorway.

I gulped, and walked further into the room to study. I noticed a small bulletin board next to a few vacant shelves, and moved closer to inspect it. My heart froze in my chest as I eyed the newspaper clippings that covered the board.

'_American child missing from crime scene in Volterra'_

My four year old face graced the page in a large box. I gulped, moving my eyes to the other clippings. They were all article cut-outs of my story. Some were of my disappearance in Italy, others were of my strange appearance in Seattle. I took a step back, and went to admire the wall of music, when a small object caught my eye.

It was a small, purple and yellow matchbox car.

I snapped my eyes closed as a clouded memory intruded my mind.

My small, chubby little fingers were pushing the car against Edward's thigh. I was making soft 'zoom' noises in my deepest voice ever, pretending that with every noise, the car would accelerate. Edward glanced down at me, and grinned for a moment before he let out a beautiful laugh. I giggled, happy that I made _him_ happy.

I gasped loudly, and stumbled back. My good foot caught on something, and I was for sure that I was going to fall, but Emmett was behind me, holding me steady before anything happened. My eyes never left the car.

And maybe it was just from the lack of blinking .. but the tears were coming again. I inhaled a sharp breath, but failed miserably. I hunched over, and the sobs which I had been trying to keep in check, were now loud and throaty.

Another set of cold arms enveloped me. But this time, they were thicker and stronger arms. Emmett's hand reached behind me, and he pulled me closer. I felt his breath close to my ear, but I didn't flinch.

"It's going to be okay, Bella. Nothing will happen. He's going to kick some ass, come home and you're going to kiss and live happily after ever. Kapeesh?" he cooed gently, but the humor in his voice gave me no choice but to choke out a laugh. I raised a hand to wipe my eyes, and he let me go.

"Kapeesh," I muttered sheepishly, and he gave a loud laugh. He placed his large palm on top of my head and ruffled my hair for a second, before pointing to the bed. I nodded, feeling sleepy despite the nap I had taken just a few short hours ago. I unzipped my jacket, and moved toward the bed. He gave me a grin before closing the door. I climbed towards the center of the bed, and lay there for a few minutes. I was still wide-awake.

I turned over, and Edward's couch came into my view. His couch. His couch which he had probably lounged upon once or twice. I sighed. I was sinking to a whole new level of pathetic. I limped the short distance from the bed to the couch, and let myself plop down. Immediately, I felt right. His scent filled my nose, and I greedily inhaled it in, not wanting to let it go.

Feeling more and more tired by the second, I laid down. I curled myself into a ball, too sleepy to grab the thick gold comforter that covered the bed next to me. I shivered for a few seconds, before the world around me began to diminish.

* * *

**There you go! I'm going to stop apologizing for "delays", because I've learned that I in fact, actually DO have a life and it has stopped me from updating every single week like I've done before. So yeah, all I can say is that I'll update when I can. **

**I don't have very much to say this time. I've already pimped out the MTV Movie Awards, and I have no stories to mention at the moment. But I would like to advertise my blogger. If you have one, and you would like to cyber-stalk me, you can follow me. The link is www(dot)kdollberg(dot)blogspot(com) and if for some reason, I've managed to hack that link up, just go to blogger and search for me. My username is kdollberg. Got it? Good. Now go! :]**

**Remember to review, please! They're my favorite, and I read each and every one, so please let me know what you think. Until next time, thanks! :]  
**


	23. My Angel, My Bella

**Edward.**

It was slightly odd; walking down these dark, spacious halls as I once did many years ago. Back then, this was my home. I studied the grounds for my own leisure, and for the most part, enjoyed the beautiful dungeon vibe that this place radiated. But now, I despised it. I hated following the coy vampires in front of me that would lead me to Aro, chuckling at my obvious discomfort.

"What's wrong, Cullen? Doesn't feel like home anymore?"

"It would be in your best interest to shut your mouth," I snapped between gritted teeth. This only fueled their childish laughter, throwing their heads back as if I had just told them some disgusting joke. _You'll get what's coming to you. _

I chose not to acknowledge his obvious threat. Aro never made definite plans with these two goons. I don't foresee death in my future. At least, not by Aro's own wishes.

"So Edward, tell us, how is Bella? Heard you two were getting pretty serious," Demetri spoke casually, as if he were starting a conversation with a good friend. My fingers involuntarily folded into hard fists, and I lowered my eyes. I didn't need to be losing my temper this early. The night hadn't even begun yet.

"Felix saw them making out through her window. How he wasn't drinking her instead is beyond me. She just smells so," he stopped talking to the cloaked vampire beside him, who was unfamiliar to me, and turn to glance at me. He smirked, taunting me with his eyes. "Delicious. When Aro decides to kill her, I call dibs."

My resolved snapped. I suddenly didn't care about keeping Aro happy. I didn't care that within seconds, my life was going to end. My mind screamed one thing. _Bella_. And I wasn't going to stand here and listen to him plot her death and his next meal.

I elicited a deep, low but loud growl, before rushing for Demetri. In one swoop, I had him pinned to the ground. My left hand gripped his neck tightly, digging my sharp fingernails into his alabaster skin. For the most part, he seemed shocked at my attack, but I knew I wasn't harming him. The other vampire stood and watched with wide eyes, but kept himself away from the situation.

"You won't be touching Bella. None of you will. Do you hear me? Do you understand?" I roared, and pulled his head up so I could slam it back down into the concrete with force. He winced, but when he brought his eyes to mine, I saw the amusement in them. Once again, I saw red. I raised my hand to disfigure his face, but didn't get very far.

"Oh, nostalgia," a twinkling female voice purred from further down the hall. We both lifted our heads, and I saw two figures standing side by side. _It's so nice to see you again, Eddie._ I growled, my furious mood only plummeting lower at the arrival of Jane.

"Gentlemen, your presence is requested in the main room," Heidi's high pitched voice stated. I gulped, and tore myself off of Demetri. He was still smirking, and I could hear him shouting off more disgusting jokes about Bella's death in his head.

Heidi and Jane led us to a room that I knew well. The main room was the feeding room. It hadn't changed one bit. As I looked around, a sense of remembrance hit me full force. I let my eyes wander to a corner, where I remembered finding my angel. She had been cowering and crying, trying in a feeble attempt to hide herself. I had rescued her from this very room. I had gotten us away from this demented room. And now, here I was. Right back where it all started.

"Edward, what a pleasure it is to see you again!"

I cringed at the booming, authoritative voice that I knew all too well. I turned my head, meeting with the dark crimson irises that belonged to Aro. He was grinning as he stalked forward, his hand already extended. I took a few steps back, ready to refuse the offer of a handshake. _In most cases, I would mind your decision to not shake my head. But in your current situation, I'm afraid you have no choice._

He would see it all. Every word, every smile, every kiss- though unfortunately there hadn't been many, between Bella and I. He would discover that my family and I had broken probably the most cherished rule in the vampire society. What he wouldn't see- was just how _special_ this human was. He wouldn't see trusting and loyal Bella was. He wouldn't see how much she meant to my family and I. All he would see were the faults in our decisions, and friend of the family or not, he wouldn't let it slip by.

And I saw it all in his head. It went along like a timeline, following in chronological order. First he saw my departure on the airplane with Bella. He saw me wandering around aimlessly without her, but missing her just the same. He saw me looking for her, and saw me finding her years later in Forks. He saw the accident, our conversations, our embraces, our kisses, _everything_. When he reached the point where I was about to tackle Demetri, I pulled my hand away. I was breathing heavily, suddenly aware that I was hyperventilating as well as a vampire could.

"Interesting," Aro cooed, taking a few steps back. He was eyeing me suspiciously as he joined the line of cloaked monsters that stood defiantly behind him. "Very interesting."

"Glad my life amuses you," I sneered angrily. He chuckled.

"No need for anger, my boy. We haven't even discussed the options yet."

Options. I knew the options, despite the blocking that Aro was doing to keep me out of his head. This was either going to end in a series of unfortunate outcomes. One- I was going to join the guard. Though I had been a member once, and I had been seemingly useless, he was terribly fascinated by my power. Two- Bella was going to be turned into one of us. This would be to ensure the secret, but I wouldn't ever let it happen. Or the third option- I was going to die. I was going to place myself in the line of fire, and sacrifice myself for Bella's honor.

But every single option ended the same way- Bella's death.

"Edward, I must ask before we begin- why are you here? Why did you bring yourself here?"

"I want you to stop playing with Bella's life. I want Felix to leave Forks, to leave Bella alone. I want you all to leave her alone. She doesn't deserve any of the things that you've put her through," I spat venomously. Aro frowned.

"I apologize for making you unhappy, but you broke a very serious rule, Edward. You've told a human about our existence. We don't know how trustworthy she is. We don't know-"

"I didn't tell Bella anything. Bella figured everything out on her own. It was your disgusting display of monstrosity that pushed her in the right direction. And Bella wouldn't ever tell anybody about us. I know she wouldn't. She's gone her entire life with her mouth shut!"

"Ah, but you kept her alive after she displayed said monstrosity. She shouldn't be alive right now. She was meant to die, Edward. And frankly, we cannot risk our entire existence on the trusting level of one fragile human," he tried to explain.

I saw his point of view. And if it were anybody else but Bella, I most likely would've agreed. But we were discussing a girl whose entire life had been distorted and ruined by a band of cruel, sadistic Italian vampires. She had been forced to mature at such a young age. This was such a dark spot in her life. The chances of her opening her mouth were very slim.

"She's a teenage girl, Edward. Human teenagers gossip, and if the topic just happens to come out, I cannot be positive that your human will refrain from speaking the truth."

"She doesn't gossip! She's not like that. She hasn't said a word of it before, and she wouldn't say anything now or ever," I demanded, my voice cold and angry. I wanted him to understand. I wanted him to see it through my eyes.

"And what about the uncle? Thomas, his name was? She couldn't keep quiet to him."

"Aro, she was sleeping. She had no control over it," I pleaded, but found myself only helping his argument instead of mine. I winced, and closed my eyes. I was finally beginning to feel defeat.

"What do you want, Aro?" I asked weakly. I hunched my shoulders, and helplessly ran a hand through my hair. "She means so much to me. I just want you to stop hurting her. What can I do that will make you stop? Do you want me to join the guard? I will. I'll stay forever if you'll leave her alone. Just .. please," I begged.

_How pathetic._ Jane and Demetri were snickering from behind me, but I ignored them. I kept my gaze locked on Aro, hoping that for just once in his existence, he'd feel an inch of sympathy and cave in.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, Edward. The girl needs to be taken care of," he spoke sadly. I snapped my head up higher, my desperate gaze quickly transitioning into a hard glare. "She must either be changed, or she must die. One or the other."

I tried to hold it in. I tried to control it, but my anger was inevitable. I jumped forward, hoping to tackle Aro, but before I reached him, an excruciating pain shot through my body. I sunk to the ground, my body curling into a ball to escape the tremors that came with the shocking pain. I writhed in agony, groaning through gritted teeth for Jane to stop.

"Jane, that's enough," I heard Aro demand firmly. She muttered a quick okay, before the pain stopped completely. And with the absence of the pain, I felt my strength dissolve as well. I felt the wall that I had built for Bella crumble to the ground. It wasn't possible for me to win this battle, and I couldn't find it in me to even try anymore, so I kept myself on the ground.

"Why is this a hard decision, my boy? Turning her would be a wonderful decision for the both of you. You don't want to lose her, and I'm sure she doesn't want to lose you as well. I saw the way you must hold yourself back. Wouldn't you like to diminish those barriers? Wouldn't you like to _b_e with her, without fear of _killing_ her? I see no flaw in this plan."

I laughed bitterly. "_You_ wouldn't. I love her. I don't want to doom her to an endless existence of this. She'd be so unhappy. I want her happy," I snapped. I pulled my eyes to the ground again.

"Well I wish it didn't have to be this way, but it's your only option," he concluded, and I knew we were finished. There was a hint of finality in his voice that wouldn't ever be disputed. "You either change her, or you lose her forever. It's your decision."

Bella's life, happiness, all of it weighed on my decision. I couldn't do this. I couldn't chose this for her. It wasn't right. She'd live off of blood- the very thing that nauseated her more than anything. She'd despise it. She'd despise _me_.

But could I live a life without Bella? Could I continue to endure this pathetic excuse for an existence knowing that she wasn't ever going to be with me? I tried to imagine it. I tried to imagine living the same as I have been- just without Bella. But nothing came up. Nothing came up because it wasn't possible. I couldn't live in a world where she doesn't exist.

"Your answer, Edward?"

I snapped my head back up to glare at the guard. They were smirking down at me, in apparent amusement at my current state of defeat. I sighed, and lifted my head off of the concrete. Hesitantly and slowly, I pulled my body up off of the floor.

"Can I at least ask Bella her opinion on the matter?" I asked hopefully. I wanted, needed to hear her voice before I ultimately chose her demise. I wanted to hear her reassure me that I'd do the right thing. I _needed_ her right now.

"Sorry Edward. We don't have time for dramatics. Your decision?"

I closed my eyes. I've never wished for anything. I've always been so accepting of this life. I've always been content, and known that it is what it is. I had never wished for anything to change, or for anything to swing my way. But now more than ever, I prayed that if there was a good, he'd help me. Even if I didn't deserve it. Even if I weren't meant to burn for eternity in the depths of hell. I needed his help to save an angel. My angel, my Bella.

"I want to change her."

I spoke so determined that I even surprised myself. Aro seemed pleasantly happy with the choice, for he clapped his hands together in a rejoicing manner.

"Good choice, my boy. I will round up some of the guard, and we shall make the first descent to Forks, Washington."

"No. You misunderstood me, Aro. I want to change her. Me. I want to bite her. If you're going to force me into this decision, at least allow me to the privilege of doing it," I requested softly. My anger would get me nowhere at this point.

"I'm not sure if I can trust you, Edward. I apologize if that offends you, but you've made your opinion against her changing very clear. How do I know you'll follow through?" he asked suspiciously.

"Give me two months. After two months, you may visit Forks to see it for yourself. She will become a vampire by my hand, I promise," I forced myself to say. He glanced at me skeptically for a few moments, before sighing heavily and nodding.

At last, a small victory on my part.

"Two months from this day, Edward. That is all the time that you have. You may leave now," he said, signaling towards the big red door. I nodded quickly, and turned to leave. I ignored the taunting thoughts of Demetri and Jane, and yanked open the heavy door with ease.

"Oh, and Edward?"

I turned around. "Yes, Aro?"

"If she's not turned by the time we arrive, she will be killed. For good. So if I were you, I'd be wise about this," he suggested. I froze for a moment, glaring at his royal demeanor, before turning around and slamming the door open once again.

I needed to get out of Italy. I needed to get back to Forks and hug Bella. I needed to see her, kiss her, apologize to her. I needed to get on my knees and beg for the forgiveness that I didn't deserve.

Because though I had came here with every intention to save Bella from these horrible creatures, I had just sealed her fate to _become_ one of these horrible creatures.

* * *

**In my defense, this chapter has been finished for awhile now, but I wasn't ever able to post it. Everytime I logged on, it directed me to the myspace of some 'Oscar Osclound' dude. It was incredibly annoying, but I just had to wait it out. Hope I didn't disappoint. I know it's pretty boring, but it needed to be done. It's not a Twilight vamp story without a fierce Volturi encounter.**

**Secondly, I am the world's biggest hypocrite. I always said I wouldn't get a twitter, but I caved. =x I couldn't help myself. So if you want yet another way to cyber-stalk me, I'm on twitter now. _www(dot)twitter(dot)com(slash)kdollberg_ , so there's that. And I've also started a graphic request/freebie blog. If you didn't already know, I'm kind of skilled on paint shop pro. I make icons, signatures, banners, headers, etc. I'm not the most amazing, but I think I'm pretty good. So if you want to check that out, it's _www(dot)skellingtongraphics(dot)blogspot(dot)com_**

** I think that's it. Oh! Congrats to Twilight and the Twilight fans for basically dominating the MTV Movie Awards. I hope we do that for the next three movies as well. :D But that's all for now. As always, comments are my favorite thing. Leave one and let me know how you liked the chapter. There's not much more left, it's coming to it's finale, but you'll just have to read to find out when! **


	24. Smart, Sacrificial Girl

**Bella.**

I couldn't sleep.

It was currently 4:22 in the morning, and I was wide awake. It had been merely three days ago that Edward had left for Italy. I hadn't received any word from him, nor did the others, and my paranoia was escalating by the second.

Why hadn't he called? If things were okay, surely he would've checked in with somebody to confirm it. But instead .. nothing.

Alice claims that she hasn't been getting very many visions of him, which worried me intensely so. The last one she had was yesterday. She didn't describe it to me, but apparently he was resting in the forest alone.

Alone. Just like me.

With a heavy sigh, I thrust the thick comforter off of my body and sat up in the bed. After the first two nights of falling asleep on the couch, I had woke up on the bed. I figured I'd save Emmett the trouble and just take refuge on the obnoxious piece of furniture.

I stood, and stretched my leg to the best of my ability. It was healing pretty quickly, but it was still quite weak. I hobbled to the windows which dominated the entire opposite wall, and glanced over the quiet forest. The moon sat low in the sky, slowly disappearing as a shade of pink tinted the darkness; signaling the sun's impending arrival. I could hear birds chirping loudly from the closest tree to the window, and if only for a few seconds, they lifted my spirits.

The house was silent, which frightened me. I was currently residing in a house full of people who never slept. Emmett, who I've decided to mentally nickname _motor-mouth_ was usually chatting animatedly about anything at this hour. Or any hour, to be honest.

I sighed, and pivoted my foot to turn away from the window, when a sharp movement in the backyard caught my eye. Leaning against the glass, I strained to look down as much as I could, and when I saw Jasper dart quickly into the woods with Carlisle in pursuit, I knew something was wrong.

Ignoring the fact that I was clad only in small cotton shorts and a v-neck gray t-shirt, I hopped one-footed down the staircase as quickly as I could. As I neared the kitchen, I could hear the commotion.

"Get Emmett on the phone! Tell him that he's changed course, and he's coming around on the other side!"

My chest throbbed painfully, and I went pale. My fingers curled around the banister at the bottom of the staircase, my breathing hitching as I tried to move closer to hear. Alice was speaking frantically in hushed tones, obviously not hearing or smelling my presence.

"Emmett, Felix has turned around. He's coming around to the front. Esme and I are going to watch the front yard, but you guys have to get back here quick," I heard Rosalie explain quickly. And maybe my imagination was playing tricks on me, but for some reason, she actually sounded a bit _concerned_.

But then my head registered what she had said, and I couldn't find the time to care about Rosalie's opinion of me.

Felix was trying to get into the house. He was trying to get to _me_.

"Is Edward still not picking up?" Esme asked quietly. The throbbing in my chest grew heavier as I leaned forward to hear the answer.

_Say yes. Say he's on a plane home right now. Say he's going to kill Felix and we'll be okay. Say it._

"No. It goes straight to voicemail."

I involuntarily let out a small cry, and before I could control it, my weak leg gave out, sending me straight to the ground. I grunted in pain, rolling onto my back to ease myself off of now injured shoulder.

"Bella! Are you okay?"

I opened my eyes, and met Alice's blank topaz stare. I opened my mouth to say something, but my vision blurred, and I closed it. The tears that I hadn't even expected began to fall like rain, never ending as Alice pulled my upper-half off of the floor. My bottom lip trembled, and I didn't feel any comfort when she took me into her arms.

"He can't be dead, Alice. I don't know what I'll do .." I sobbed into her shoulder. She shushed me, rubbing my back in a soothing manner.

"He's not dead, Bella."

"You don't _know_ that!" I accused defensively. She sighed, and crouched in front of me. She took my left hand into hers, and the top of her cool thumb moved across my knuckles.

"Neither do you. But you have to believe it. He's stronger than you may think, Bella. He wouldn't give up so easily," she spoke quietly, almost as to reassure herself as well. It didn't help.

"No, he wouldn't give up easily, but there's not much to give up if you're dead, now is there?" I sneered, and tried to rise on my own two feet. I wobbled forward, and grimaced in preparation for the knock my head was about to take into the wall, but a pair of strong, cold arms caught me around my waist.

"Don't be stupid, girl. He didn't go to Italy for nothing. He's there, fighting for you," Rosalie scolded, balancing me on my good foot while simultaneously pressing an ice pack to my already bruised shoulder. "Have some faith."

_Faith_. Because that's gotten me so far in my life, right?

"What's going on?" I asked weakly, glancing back and fourth between Rosalie and Alice. "Is Felix trying to get into the house?"

"That's a pretty stupid question when you've been caught eavesdropping, don't you think?" Rosalie spat, but her eyes softened when my treacherous bottom lip began to tremble once more. She sighed, and sat down on the bottom step of the staircase.

"Yes. Emmett could hear his footsteps earlier, and caught him just before he entered through the kitchen. He's been out chasing him ever since. Jasper and Carlisle just left minutes ago to help," Alice explain, but I could tell that there was more than she was letting on.

"But?" I asked, not meeting her gaze.

"But," she continued, and I had to snap my neck up to look at her in shock of the blatant defeat of her voice. "Felix knows what he's doing. He's playing with them."

I closed my eyes, trying to stop the worries that suddenly invaded my head. Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle were _playing_ with a dangerous member of the Volturi.

"They won't .. they won't get hurt, will they?"

Alice didn't answer my question, but the frightened look in her eyes spoke a million words- all confirming my deepest fears. I gulped.

"Go upstairs and change, Bella. We'll be down here when you're done."

Her voice held a strong hint of conclusion, and I didn't want to argue. Holding the ice pack to my shoulder, I limped back up the long staircase. I kicked open the door that was strangely already clicked open, and stepped inside. Closing it behind me, I moved to the corner of my room and crouched in front of my bag, searching through it until I found a pair of jeans and a hoodie.

I turned around to move into the bathroom, when a strong hand suddenly clamped over my mouth.

On instinct, I tried to scream, but the hand increased pressure and the breath was knocked out of me. My heart was beating frantically in my chest, and I knew immediately who it was. I whimpered against his mouth as he slowly turned me around in his embrace.

I glanced at his face once, before his black eyes glanced down at a piece of paper in his hands. I followed his gaze, and read the black text that was printed flawlessly on the lined paper.

**Don't scream. Don't make a noise. **

My stomach jumbled with sadness as I closed my eyes and nodded. The hand moved away from my mouth, and his fingers hovered for a few seconds, in case I decided to disobey his orders. But after realizing that I would be cooperative, he grabbed me around my waist, and moved towards the huge window that was now open.

His knees bent, and in seconds, we were mid-air. I snapped my eyes closed, my stomach rising up to meet my heart. We landed on ground with a loud thud, and when I opened my eyes again, I realized he was running.

The world blurred quickly around me, everything whirling past me in a daze. I couldn't think of anything except how dizzy I was becoming. Until he stopped running, and he shoved me off of his back roughly.

I hit the ground hard, yelping in pain when my sore shoulder was knocked about yet again. Felix ignored it as he leaned against a tree, crossing his arms over his chest and laughing at me in amusement.

"Clumsy human," he chastised.

"You're the one that pushed me, asshole!" I spat venomously, boldly hawking up enough saliva to actually spit at him. I missed him by a few inches, almost hitting his shoe. I was expecting him to laugh, but decided that I wouldn't trust my judgment when he raced forward and grasped me around my neck.

I coughed and sputtered out pleas for him to let go, but he ignored me, his fingers gripping me tighter.

"Are you suicidal, you stupid girl?"

I could feel the sweat matting against my forehead, and his fingers were preventing me from taking any breaths. I knew my face had to be ten different shades of red and purple mixed from the lack of air.

His fingers loosened, and he dropped me to the ground once more. He stayed close though, hovering over my crumpled body menacingly.

"I've waited for this moment for so long," he announced joyfully. I moved to the side, crawling away from him, but he followed me, stepping with me as I crawled desperately. "I've wanted your blood since the moment I first encountered you."

He inhaled deeply, as if to emphasize his declaration.

I continued to crawl, trying to ignore the fact that he was right beside me, enjoying the similar cat and mouse game that we were currently playing. But it was kind of hard when he was cheerfully sharing his special plans for my death.

"I was going to take you, too. After I finished your uncle, I had planned on drinking you dry," he sneered down at me. Upon realizing that I was trying to unsuccessfully ignore him, he continued. "When I heard news of your impending move to Forks, I found it the perfect opportunity for _more_ Swan blood. I could have you _and_ your other uncle. It would've been quite the delectable feast!"

I was shivering now.

"But then you became involved with those disgusting Cullens. Honestly, they're the worst excuses for vampires," he chuckled bitterly. I found the strength to begin crawling quicker, hoping maybe Emmett or Jasper or _somebody_ would stumble upon us.

"You were constantly protected. If it wasn't a Cullen, it was one of those filthy Native American dogs. But I knew I'd find a way to get to you sooner or later, and with Edward out of the way, things couldn't be more perfect."

_With Edward out of the way._

I whimpered, and stopped crawling.

"What are you talking about?" I whispered, closing my eyes in anticipation of his answer.

"Little Bella, don't you think if Edward was alive, he would've contacted you by now? Don't you think he would've been here to prevent this?"

I stiffened, and I swear that my heart stopped beating. It couldn't be.

"He's not dead," I whispered to myself. "He wouldn't leave me here alone."

I could hear Felix laughing. I began crawling again, moving faster than I had previously been going. His laughter was following me, but I tried my best to ignore it. My chest hurt; my heart heavy as I tried to erase his words. _Edward is not dead._

"Don't be so naïve, little girl. He was no match for the entire Volturi guard. He fought, and he lost. He's gone!" he bellowed angrily. I cried out pathetically, but if anything, it propelled me to move even faster.

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" I screeched.

Suddenly, he was in front of me, and his boot clad foot stepped painfully onto my hand. I heard the bones crunching beneath the weight, and I screamed in agony.

"Please," I whimpered weakly, my falling onto my stomach. My hand was burning in pain; the bones disfigured and protesting loudly. My vision was once again clouded with building moisture. Felix cooed bitterly from in front of me.

"It's okay, Bella. You can join him in hell. I'll help you," he suggested evilly, before leaning down to level his eyes with mine. I stared back, no emotion in them. My parents were dead, Uncle Tommy was dead, and Edward was dead. Oh, no.

_Edward was dead_.

If I gave up now, maybe he'd stop torturing everybody. The rest of the Cullen's, and Uncle Charlie could live peacefully without the disruption of the Volturi. They wanted my life, and I could give it to them. Right now.

"Do it," I agreed miserably. His eyes widened in shock for a moment, before he laughed loudly, and reached up to grab my wrist. He brought it to his mouth, and I shivered at the feel of his cold breath against my flesh.

"Smart girl," he noted playfully, before his teeth sunk into my skin. It was only seconds later that the flames began to engulf my body, succumbing me entirely to the agonizing pain.

* * *

**Whoa! Bet you didn't see that coming. Truthfully, I didn't either. Don't hate me for it. It'll come together, I promise! Also, I apologize for the short length. It really does seem longer when I'm typing it, but once it gets uploaded, I always go 'Wow, I thought I wrote a lot more than this', haha. I'm going to try to update this quicker. I've been working on a new story. It's my first ever AH story, and I'm a bit nervous about it, but once this finishes (maybe even before) I want to post it. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't growing a tad bit tired of this story. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but all good things need to come to an end. **

**I don't have much else to say, but before I sign off, I'm going to take the time to say R.I.P to Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett & Michael Jackson. It's been a horrible month so far, but this is unbelievable. My thoughts go out to all of the friends and families. They'll forever be missed. **

**That's it for now. I'd really like to recieve more input, especially as I near the end. Review! I write for you, so let me know how I'm doing, or how I did, I guess. :D**


	25. Rage Makes For Good Revenge

**Edward.**

It's been said that when it comes to a vampire's desire for blood, we're incredibly insatiable.

I'd like to dispute that. Because at this very moment, I was feeling equivalent to what a human calls _stuffed_. I had been hunting for days now, killing and drinking from any animal that was gutsy enough to cross my path.

At first, my objective was to gain strength for Bella. But after spending a night out here, isolated from thoughts, people and technology, I began to relish in the quietness. It wasn't easy to admit at first, but as much as I want to see Bella at the moment, I was too cowardly to face her.

How do you explain to the love of your life that you doomed her to a life of damnation?

So instead of taking responsibility for my actions, I was hiding out in an abandoned forest in Italy, slaughtering animals and mourning over the loss of my Bella, who wasn't even dead yet.

_Bella_.

How did I come to deserve such perfection? I didn't, but for some strange reason that I have yet to discover, she wanted to be with me. And never in a million years, have I thought that I would even have the capacity to have such forceful feelings for _anything_. But Bella .. well, she almost made me feel human again, and as selfish as it was, I wouldn't _ever_ willingly let that go.

I felt more guilty as the seconds ticked by. I was out here having my own personal feast, and Bella was probably cooped up at the house in Forks, wondering if I was okay or not. I cringed. I hadn't contacted anybody in days, but it felt so peaceful out here. The relaxation was much needed, and I only hoped that Alice saw my safety and confirmed it to the rest of the family.

Sighing, I stood from my spot in the moist dirt, and slowly stalked back to the entrance of the forest. My phone was sitting on the branch where I had left it days ago. I picked it up, and pressed the green button that began to power it up. I stiffened when I saw 134 calls from Alice.

I called my voicemail, and leaned against a tree, my insides chilling as her familiar tinkling voice rang in my ears.

"_Edward, it'd be nice if you actually let us know how you're doing, you jerk_." I chuckled and pressed the button to delete it.

"_I see you in a forest. You don't look hurt. When are you coming home? Bella misses you. We all miss you. Call, please_." Delete.

"_Edward_," her voice sounded alert and frightened. I sat up immediately. "_Felix is circling the house. I've tried looking into the future to decipher his plans, but it's blank. I don't have a good feeling about this_." The voicemail was left earlier today, but it wasn't the last one. I deleted it, and moved onto the next one.

"_He has her, Edward! God damnit, she's gone and I can't see her! Get back here as soon as possible!"_

The click of the phone, met by the operator giving me my inbox options quickly followed, but I was still processing the last voicemail. Felix had Bella. Bella was in danger.

And that was the only thing I needed to be sure of before my feet took me on a whirlwind journey to the airport. They only had first class tickets left, but I didn't mind. I quickly paid, did the usual safety procedures, and an hour later I found myself sitting anxiously and impatiently isolated in the first class section.

Despite the blinking sign above me that warned us to keep our electronic devices off, I was continuously dialing Alice's number. When she wouldn't pick up, I called everybody else's phone, but nobody was answering. My anxiety was only fueling my rage, and all I could see was red.

If one inch of Bella was harmed, there would be hell to pay.

Especially after I had just made a deal with the Volturi, which gave Bella at least two months of safety. I don't think Aro would be foolish enough to go back on his word and order Bella's death, so Felix must be acting on his own. The idea only built more rage within me.

_I will kill him_.

Nine hours later, I was rushing out of the airport, feeling higher in spirits that I was back in Washington. The sickening idea of a harmed Bella still haunted at me. If Felix had done anything, I would be too late. If Bella was hurt, it would be my fault. I wasn't here to protect her. Instead, I was selfishly filling my gut with blood.

I found my Volvo sitting untouched from where I had left it. Yanking the keys out of my pocket, I quickly climbed in and shoved the key into the ignition, enjoying the daft rumble of the engine. I peeled out of the parking lot, and drove faster than I ever had before.

I made it back to the quaint little town at a record breaking hour and 26 minutes, and once the car had stopped in the driveway, I could already tell that something was seriously wrong. The atmosphere surrounding the house was quiet, which was unusual for our chatty family. Not one single thought was heard.

But then I smelt it.

His disgusting, royal aroma. It was breezing through the air, and my deepest fears were confirmed. He really did take Bella.

I entered the house. _Silence_. I didn't bother calling out, for I knew that nobody was within miles radius from here. I inhaled his putrid scent up the staircase, where it lingered in my bedroom. The window was wide open, and a slew of papers that had I left sitting around were strewn across the floor. He must've jumped through the window with her.

I crouched to jump, but a lone piece of scrap paper caught my eye. I leaned down to snatch it up, and the cold venom that ran through my body boiled. I let out a vicious snarl as the dark, bolded calligraphy popped out at me.

**Don't scream. Don't make a noise.**

I bellowed out an angry shout, and the paper crumbled beneath my fingers before I leapt from the window. The world flew around me as I was free-falling, but I landed gracefully on my feet, and I was off. I followed his scent, stopping occasionally when the wind would pick up and push it elsewhere.

My phone began to vibrate in my pocket, and as much as I wanted to ignore it, I felt the nagging need to answer it. I plucked it up, and my head spun when I saw Alice's familiar number. I was speaking before the phone even reached my ear.

"Where is she, Alice? Where are you all? What's happened?"

"Edward," she began, and I hated the sorrow that tainted her usually bubbly voice. I winced, and brought my other hand to forehead, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers. This wasn't going to be good news. "You need to come down to La Push. We're on the Reservation, at Jacob Black's house."

"Why are you there? How did you cross the boundary line? Where's Bella? Can I speak to her?" I asked quickly. I heard the line go dead, and I immediately screamed in anger. I shoved the phone back into my pocket, before turning on my heel and heading in the direction of the Quilete's turf.

My family's scents quickly became apparent. Bella's was there as well, but it was faint and barely detectable. I didn't enjoy the sinking feeling that maybe there was a reason for that, but I guess I would find out soon enough.

Billy Black's house came into view. It was a small, red cabin-like building that housed the two Quilietes. Various cars and vehicles were scattered amongst the property, the hoods propped open and tools surrounding the area.

_Don't overreact, Edward. Please ignore it, and come quietly._

Alice's mental voice was begging with me, and I stopped running, automatically confused at her request. I inhaled a breath and waited for her to elaborate, when the unmistakable scent of delicious, tantalizing blood evaded my entire being.

_Bella._

My eyes were wide as I followed my nose, and dipped my head to the ground beneath my feet. Inches from my feet, sat a dark red puddle of blood. _Bella's blood_.

_Please, Edward. Just come into the house_.

I was seething, and as I continued to inhale the antagonizing aroma, I stared at the house. Everybody else's thoughts were dull buzzes, meaning they were fighting as hard as they could to clear their heads. I didn't like this one bit.

I moved closer to the house, slowly and hesitantly. The scent of Bella's blood grew stronger as I neared the front door. I yanked the screen door open roughly, and wasn't remorseful when it flew off of the hinges, falling loudly onto the wooden porch behind me.

I stepped into the house, and wanted to gag. A mixture of Bella's blood, my family's scent and wolf hung strongly in the air. It was almost unbearable, and burned my nostrils as if I were inhaling straight bleach. I continued to stand at the door, afraid of moving forward. I was afraid of what I would see.

A loud, shrill and agonizing scream pierced the house, and my dead heart dropped to my stomach when I recognized the hearty, musical voice that produced it.

Bella.

My feet moved unwillingly into the next room, and I froze in the doorway when the five bodies of my family members stood nervously in front of me. Alice was the first to greet me. She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, and I noticed they were shaking with tremors as she removed them.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked miserably. My lips parted in horror, and I shook my head.

"No," I gasped in disbelief. I continued to shake my head furiously. "She isn't .. she isn't gone. Don't tell me that, Alice."

Alice shook her head, and I saw the immense sadness in her eyes. If she could produce tears, she would be sobbing at the moment.

"She isn't dead. Just .. go see for yourself. She's in the other room with Carlisle."

I didn't need anymore of a suggestion before my feet continued to lead me down a small, cramped hallway. I could hear Bella's grunts of pain, and Carlisle's soothing, quiet voice cooing her to calm down. I closed my eyes tight, as the realization suddenly sank in.

She was _dying_- in the worst way possible. She was turning. The filthy bastard had bitten her.

I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me. Carlisle didn't seem surprised to see me, but I could see the sympathy in his eyes. _I tried to get it out of her system, but it was too late. I'm sorry._

I nodded silently, and joined him at the side of the bed she was currently occupying. Sweat was beaded across her forehead, several strands of hair sticking to it as she threw her neck back and fourth in pain. Her toes were curling, along with her fingers as her spasms grew heavier. The sight left me with a throbbing chest. I wanted to take every inch of her pain away. She didn't deserve any of this.

"What.." my voice croaked, raising to an embarrassingly high octave. "What happened, Carlisle? What happened to him?"

He knew exactly who I was referring to.

"He was upstairs, and they tried to get to her in time but he was so quick. Alice didn't see it coming. We failed at keeping her safe, Edward. I can't even-" he stopped himself, closing his eyes in loss. I had never seen Carlisle look so defeated.

I reached forward, and placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes snapped open, and I forced out the best weak smile that I could give him. I knew he appreciated the gesture when he returned the smile.

"It's okay, Carlisle. I don't blame you. What happened after you discovered he had taken her?"

I was surprised at how calm and level-headed I was being when my insides were raging with revenge.

"Alice saw it too late. When she went upstairs, they were gone. She called us, and we searched the entire forest, but he kept relocating her. When we finally found her, Felix was gone and Jacob Black was by her side. Since we were closer to La Push, we just took her here. The venom was too far gone to remove it. I'm sorry."

I shook my head, and turned my attention back to Bella. I kneeled down on the floor beside her trembling frame, and reached for a fisted hand. She relaxed immediately under my touch, and despite my rage, I couldn't help but smile. Using my thumb, I stroked the smooth skin between her thumb and index finger. After a few seconds, she reached out to give me better access, and I had to stifle my gasp of horror when the bloodied crimson scar came into view.

I was shaking with rage as I stood to my feet. I leaned over Bella's body, and pressed my lips gently to her forehead.

"I'm sorry, love. He'll never hurt you again. Nobody will ever hurt you again," I spoke in hushed tones against her forehead. She audibly groaned, and turned her head, breaking the contact that my lips had with her skin.

I turned to face Carlisle.

_Be careful._

I nodded once, and threw another glance at Bella before I stomped angrily through the house. I stopped when I reached the living room. Rosalie, Alice and Esme were its only occupants. Esme stepped forward, and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek, before giving me a small smile.

_Jasper and Emmett are waiting outside to go with you. We'll keep watch here._

I nodded, and headed door-less entryway. _Don't be gentle on his sadistic ass!_ I smirked to myself at Rosalie's cheerful thoughts, and stepped down from the large porch. Emmett and Jasper met me in the middle, stepping on each side of me.

When I reached the entrance of the forest, a towering figure stepped out, and I surprised that I was so wrapped up in my rage that I didn't notice his presence. Jacob Black was heaving; his chest moving dramatically up and down. His glare was furious, and his top lip curled into an evil snarl. Emmett and Jasper growled lowly, and stepped forward, but I held my arms out, stopping them.

"Hunting down a leech?" I asked playfully. He smirked.

"Out for revenge?" he countered. A small, devious smile flittered across my lips as I nodded my head in confirmation once. Jacob stepped forward, extending his arm. I looked at it for a moment, before gripping his hand in my own harshly.

"Let's take this blood-sucking motherfucker down," he spat darkly as he drew his arm back. He moved to the other side of Emmett, and the four of us, walking in a frightening line, moved through the forest stealthily. Bella's face, combined with the rage that had been building inside of me all day, clouded my senses, and I overcome with the sick urge to rip Felix's head from his body.

And I would do _exactly_ that.

* * *

**Whoa, a six day wait? Whaaaat? I'm just as shocked as you are that the delay was so short. However, I was bored and I thought you all might appreciate the effort to get chapters out quicker. I didn't really spend _too_ much time editing this one, so if you see small grammatical errors, please ignore them. I hope I answered some of your concerns. I addressed the main, confusing ones. However, not everything has to be explained, so don't get all worked up. It's _just_ a fanfiction. I hope my next chapter will be out quick as well, but I can't tell you what I have going on next week. Most of my time lately is devoted to finding a job, but Michigan is a lost cause right now. Nothing here is hiring. *Sigh***

**Anyway, I hope I didn't disappoint. Please click the button below and let me know what you think. Until next time! (which hopefully won't be very long)**


	26. Sight For Sore Eyes

**Bella.**

_I didn't care_.

I tried to focus on the voices that surrounded me, their words soothing with comfort and help, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. The flames that had engulfed my body hadn't let up since they began, and I was quickly losing my resolve.

I wanted to die. I wanted somebody to just put me out of my misery. I didn't know what was happening to me, but shouldn't I be dead already? The pain was so severe that I should've passed out a long time ago.

But no. Instead I was laying here, burning. And the people around me were merely encouraging it. I didn't want words of encouragement; I wanted death. I wanted to the pain to go away.

_I wanted Edward._

In the haze of the excruciating pain, I still had him on my mind. I had an inkling of hope that he might be one of the spectators beside my body at the moment, but I was positive that he wasn't. I didn't feel his icy touch, or his deep, velvet voice. Of course, my sense of what was going on right now was very slim, so maybe I was wrong.

Still .. Edward has a very bold presence. Over the last few weeks, I had grown accustomed to the eerie pleasant aura he oozed when we were in the same room. I didn't feel that now, but I knew that even the fire couldn't tarnish _that_ feeling.

He wasn't here.

I would cry if I wasn't already screaming. The sinking feeling in my chest returned, only deepening the physical pain. I wasn't sure how long it had been since I've been like this, but I knew it exceeded more than a few hours. I couldn't help but believe that something horrible had happened to Edward. He hadn't returned from Italy, and he hadn't contacted anybody. What other reason could there possibly be?

"Bella?"

I perked up at the sound of a feminine voice. I strained to hear more, but it was silent for a few minutes before the voice spoke again.

"Carlisle said you're probably coherent by now. Or at least, I'm hoping," she spoke, a light chuckle following after. A sharp ringing in my ear prevented me from identifying who the musical voice belonged to, and I grunted loudly, trying to form words.

_Who are you_?

"Alice saw this happening the second she saw you. It was supposed to be your choice. That's why I .. was less than enthusiastic of your presence in my family."

I opened my mouth, groaning as I tried to speak. My tongue felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds, and I panted heavily to force it up. My mouth clamped closed in defeat.

"We don't know how he did it. We don't know how he hid from Alice's visions, but I'm sorry that we couldn't save you in time."

It wasn't Alice. And from the declarations she was speaking, I could only assume it wasn't Esme either. That left one female Cullen left- Rosalie.

Cold fingers touched my forehead, and I almost screamed in the relief that they gave me. They dulled the aching burn that was surely eating away at my skin. I opened my mouth again, determined to beg for help. My chest was growing weaker and weaker, and I knew it wouldn't be long before my heart stopped beating.

I coughed and sputtered, forcing myself through the pain to open my mouth. It felt as if somebody was holding my mouth under a faucet full of scalding hot water.

"Ph-please," I gurgled weakly. My throat heaved in protest, and I quickly clamped my mouth shut again. My sobs increased when the pain grew tenfold, and I knew my own clock was ticking.

"Carlisle!" Rosalie screeched, and I winced at the sudden loudness and clarity of it, followed by a series of deep thumping against a hollow surface. _Footsteps_. But they were _so_ loud. Why were they so loud? And why could I hear them so clearly?

I howled when the agonizing pain shot through my ribcage, surrounding my chest. _Straight for the heart_. This was it. I was dying. After everything the Cullen's did to keep me alive, I managed to get myself killed after all.

Goodbye Uncle Charlie. Goodbye Angela. Goodbye Jake. Goodbye Cullen's. Goodbye _Edward_.

I opened my mouth again, following the same painful routine as before.

"Edward!" I screeched with force. I immediately regretted it. My toes curled as the aftermath of my tone bit back, and I swallowed the torture that was being inflicted upon me. I felt myself trembling, before cold hands held me down on either side. I didn't feel relief like Rosalie's ghostly fingers had brought last time.

A scary numbness spread over my legs, shooting up my thighs, over my stomach until it reached my chest. I would've been joyous over the loss of that pain, if it hadn't accelerated further into my chest. It was as if somebody pushed everything up into my heart.

"Hang in there, Bella. It won't be long now," I heard somebody speak, but the voice was unfamiliar to me. I wasn't sure if my eyes were open or closed, but I saw darkness either way. My heart beat sped up, moving scarily quick in my body.

"Seconds!"

I was digging my fingernails into something hard, and I felt the object falter in my fingers. I moved my arm to hold onto something else, but gave up when I ended up breaking that as well. The pain was at an all-time high, and I was vaguely aware of the unattractive and miserable grunts I was emitting.

And then everything stopped.

My toes remained curled as I waited for it to pick up again, but nothing happened. I was trembling with fright, unable to believe that everything would stop so quickly. I should be dead right now. Maybe I-

"Bella, open your eyes, love."

_Edward!_

I snapped my eyelids open, but regretted the hasty gesture and immediately closed them. The lights were bright; almost blinding white. Fingers danced against my palm.

"Try again. Slower this time," he instructed. I obeyed, my eyes slowly fluttering open. I let them adjust to the magnificent clarity. I could see _everything_. The fingers on my palm moved to my forearm, and I glanced sideways, taking in his figure. I sucked in a sharp breath.

It was like seeing him for the first time.

He was beautiful. Not that he wasn't always, but with the new defect in my eyesight, I couldn't even form enough words in my head to wrap around how gorgeous he was. Maybe this was Heaven. Maybe I did something extraordinary in my past life that warranted me with his presence up here. Whatever it was, I didn't care. I could spend forever like this, memorizing the way he looked right now. He was grinning, his flawless pearly white teeth gleaming. His skin was milky white, contrasting well with the bright gold of his eyes. His copper colored hair was a messy disarray at the top of his head; sticking up in a million different directions. He gave a whole new meaning to the term _sight for sore eyes_.

"Welcome back," he chuckled, moving his hand up my arm to cup my face. I couldn't help but smile at him, before releasing the gut full of breath that I was holding. I coughed at the sharp, raw pain that quickly followed after.

"Water?" I croaked weakly. He smiled again, shaking his head.

"How do you feel, Bella?" somebody asked from the other side of the room. I snapped my neck in the direction and found Carlisle watching me with an amused expression. I held in my gasp at how clearly I was seeing his beauty as well.

"I feel like I need some water."

This emitted a laugh from all different spots in the room. I spun around to look at everybody. Alice stood in the doorway, her arms crossed against her chest and a smile on her face. Rosalie stood next to her, her grin wider than Alice's if possible. They too, were more gorgeous than I had originally been seeing.

"You're just thirsty, Bella. We'll take care of that in a moment," Edward answered, gripping my hand tighter.

"No kidding," I mumbled, looking down at my lap. My flesh was exposed in the small pajama shorts I had been wearing, but I felt my jaw drop at the dramatic change in the color of my skin. Sure, I had always been paler than the rest, but it was a far cry from the bright alabaster that I was now.

"What happened?" I asked, still examining my skin. The stubble on my legs that I had meant to shave was mysteriously gone. _Were Alice and Rosalie seriously grooming me while I writhed in pain?_

"You don't remember?" Alice asked, frowning. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to remember anything.

"I just remember Felix taking me into the woods. I can't remember what happened after that."

It was silent for a minute, and I was scared of receiving an answer. Their faces weren't gloom, but what if something had happened to one of them? Speaking of that, where was Emmett and Jasper?

Edward grasped my wrist in his hand, and motioned for my other with his free one. I brought my hand to my wrist. He gently guided my thumb to my pulse point, pressing on it lightly.

"What do you feel there?" he asked softly. I frowned.

"Nothing."

Edward's eyebrows rose in understanding, and I was immediately confused. I stared at his face for a second, and I followed his eyes when they darted down to my wrist, where my thumb was pressed firmly against my pulse point.

My pulse point- where there _should_ currently be a soft throbbing between the veins- but there wasn't. My pulse was gone. _Holy crow_.

I didn't have a pulse!

I'm sure the recognition was evident in my eyes, as Edward pushed my thumb out of the way and grasped my hand once more. I opened my mouth to speak but the loss of the words combined with the burning of my throat prevented me from doing so.

"Felix bit you, Bella. When Emmett found you, he was in the process of drinking you dry. He was going to put up a fight, but after Jasper arrived, he bailed. Carlisle tried to retract the venom, but you were already too far into the transformation."

I gulped, ignoring the searing pain as I tried to wrap my head around all of this. I had been bitten. I had been exposed to venom. _Transformation_?

"Transformation? Does that mean ..?" I stopped, and by the looks on their faces, I knew exactly what my answer was.

_I'm a vampire_.

"But-but Uncle Charlie-" I began, my voice trembling into a high pitched squeal. Edward's hand tightened, and I frantically looked at him in despair. He sighed, and gave me his best smile, despite the situation at hand.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, we need to hunt."

He stood from his spot on his knees, and gently pulled me up. I prepared myself to hobble, recalling that my leg was still pretty torn up, but when I set both feet on the hardwood floors, I felt incredibly balanced. I gasped, and kicked my sore leg, expecting a sharp pain to follow after, but nothing.

"My leg is fixed!" I exclaimed, kicking into in the air repeatedly. Edward chuckled again.

"The venom did that. Any oddities you had in your human life are gone."

Well, that's nice to know.

I looked around, wanting a mirror to study myself in, when I suddenly realized that I had no clue where we were. The room was small, and was cramped with a large bed, dark brown walls and various posters of rock bands plastered around. This definitely wasn't a room in the Cullen mansion.

"Where are we?"

"Your friend, Jacob, showed up after Jasper and Emmett. Since they were closer to here than our house, he allowed us entrance of Quilete land, and they took you here," Carlisle explained. I glanced around the room again. It definitely had a Jake touch to it.

"So then, where is Jake?" I asked cautiously, hoping the answer wasn't anything negative.

"He's in the forest, watching in case Felix decides to make an appearance. He's unharmed, but it'd be best for him to stay away from you at the moment. You're thirsty and he's an easy target."

I nodded, deciding to skip the hundreds of questions that floated around in my head. I could save those for later. My throat was currently screaming at me, and I needed to relieve the soreness before I did anymore talking.

"Bella, I believe this is what you were looking for," Alice announced, stepping into the room with a circular, medium sized mirror. I smiled thankfully at her, and reminded myself to apologize for probably worrying her sick. She held it up, and when I stared at myself, I jumped back in surprise.

"My eyes!"

They were dark red, and I closed them the second I saw them. I looked like _them_. I had their eyes. I bit down on my bottom lip, shaking my head furiously and trying to wish them away.

"It's only temporary, love. They're red because you still have human blood in your body. Once you start to hunt more, they'll turn, I promise," Edward cooed into my ear. His breath was cool against my neck, and I squirmed. I felt his arms encase around my waist from behind.

"Open your eyes," he scolded gently. I sighed heavily and obeyed, letting my eyelids flutter open. I gulped when I looked at the person staring back at me. Ignoring my eyes, I studied the rest of me.

I didn't want to toot my own horn, but .. wow. For once in my life, I was pretty. I wasn't anything compared to Esme, Alice or Rosalie. Oh geeze, _definitely not_ Rosalie- but I wouldn't feel so disgusting standing next to them now.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to be anymore beautiful than you were before," he whispered into my ear, so low that I was the only one that would hear it. "But once again, you surprised me."

I smiled when his chin came to rest gently on my shoulder, and he smiled back at my reflection as well. My chest swelled at the sight of us together. He leaned over and affectionately pressed a kiss to my cheek, and I giggled loudly.

"Okay Edward, there's plenty of time for that later. She needs to hunt now," Esme chided playfully, and I was still grinning as we turned around to face her. I nodded, and followed soundlessly as he grasped my hand and led me downstairs, through the wooden door and outside.

"Wanna race?" he asked with a grin.

"I doubt I'd be able to keep up with you."

"Humor me," he chuckled, and crouched down. I gulped, and mimicked his movements. When I was beside him, my knee touching the dirt, he cocked his head to grin at me.

"Ready? One .. two.. go!" he exclaimed, before darting off into the forest. I gasped, appalled that he was cheating, and kicked off to follow him. Within seconds, I was at a distance that would've taken me five minutes to walk. I laughed breathlessly as my feet continued to carry me at an abnormal speed. Everything whirled past me, but I saw it all in frozen motion; clear as if I were standing still.

"Cheater!" I screamed playfully into the forest, and I heard his joyous laugh follow loudly afterwards. I grinned and kicked my legs faster, my eyes widening when I saw his retreating back only a little further in front of me.

"I got you!"

I inhaled to laugh, and that was all it took. I stopped running; my feet coming to an abrupt halt. My nostrils flared as a mind-blowing, delicious and enticing aroma filled the air. My mouth watered, and my better sense of judgment was thrown into the back of my head. I wanted to continue to follow Edward, but something dark and strong was pulling me in an entirely different direction.

I was running again; following the antagonizing and wonderful smell that had me in such a frenzy. My mind was set on one thing: _blood_.

It was getting closer with every step. I was groaning loudly, waiting for the target to come into view so I could tear into it. I no longer had control of my body. Something inside of me was begging for whatever was emitting the source of smell, and I wouldn't stop until I had it.

"Bella, no!" I heard Edward bellow behind me. I couldn't stop though, I was so close to it. The smell was so hypnotizing. _So close_.

"Bella?" It was a new voice this time, and I knew it immediately.

_Jacob_.

My eyes locked on his, and he didn't even have time to blink before my feet flew out from under me, and I lunged at him.

* * *

**Oh, no! I just go from one extreme to the next, don't I? Oh well. A lot of action never hurt anybody. Except _maybe_ for Jacob .. haha. I tried to make it a bit longer this time. I think I failed at that, but eh. Anyway, like I said before, the story is quickly on it's way to the end. My new story (which I delayed the AH one, my new one WILL have vamps) will be out soon- maybe in a week or so, so look out for that! I think that's about it. I will take the time to shamelessly plug my icon site (which was previously my graphic site). I've done two icon dumps so far- Twilight and True Blood, so if you want to check that out, the link is in my profile. But I'll wrap this up. Review, please! :D**


	27. Your Death Or Your Doom

**Edward.**

I could hear Alice behind me, her tiny feet thumping quickly amongst the soil. I blocked her out, focusing only on trying to get to Bella before she did something she'd greatly regret. I couldn't believe Jacob would be so ignorant as to ignore me when I advised him to stay out of this part of the forest.

"Bella?" I heard Jacob question, his voice loud and confused. I groaned, frustrated as I quickened my pace. I let out a gush of relief when I found myself behind Bella, who was targeting on the tan boy in front of her.

_Seriously? Does she think she's threatening? _

I growled at his thoughts. For a minor second, I contemplated allowing Bella to rip him to shreds. I could hear it in his head; he didn't think Bella could take him. Obviously those Quilete legends of his never mentioned the extraordinary strength of a newborn vampire.

_She won't harm him, Edward. _Alice screamed loudly inside of my head. _Let her attack. After everything that's happened, I need some humor right about now._

I froze, but trusted Alice anyway. I hung back, and winced as Bella flew from her running position, and slammed her body hard on top of Jacob's. He was flung to the ground with hard impact, eliciting a loud _umph_.

Bella was on top of him, snarling under her breath as she moved closer. I stiffened, suddenly questioning Alice's judgment on this vision, but she held a finger out and gestured for me to watch silently.

Jacob was pushing against her tiny frame, whimpering in pain as she pinned his large arms to the ground beneath him. _Please_.I snickered at the pleads through his head, reveling in the fact that he was severely frightened by Bella at the moment. She sat up, and inhaled, and I knew she was getting ready to bite, but when her nostrils extended, she froze. The pure hunger on her face disappeared completely. Her mouth closed, body relaxed, and her eyes went back to their normal stance. She slapped a hand over her mouth and moaned.

"What the hell is that smell?" she whined loudly, her voice muffled by her palm. Jacob sighed, the relief radiating off of him immensely.

I couldn't help it; I threw my head back and roared in laughter. Alice mirrored me, and her tinkling laugh joined mine in harmony. Bella still sat upon Jacob's chest, staring at Alice and I in utter confusion, which only fueled my laughter even more.

"What's going on?" she asked, crinkling her eyebrows as she look around. She glance downwards, and gasped loudly. She scuffled to her feet, getting off of Jacob, who was now rubbing his sore, bruised arms.

"Were you two just going to sit back and watch her kill me?" Jacob spat angrily as he brushed the dirt away from his clothing. I was still trying to control my laughter, but I managed to nod my head, which made Alice laugh hard from beside me.

"Were you two just going to sit back and _let_ me kill him?" Bella screeched, and the humor was instantly killed. I gulped down the rest of my chuckles, not wanting to upset her.

"Oh lighten up, Bella. We knew you wouldn't have hurt him," Alice retorted, chuckling as she tried to recover from laughing. She tapped her head sarcastically. "Duh?"

"That's Jacob that smells so rancid. Something about wolf blood is just repulsive to us. Though it's the same for them and vampires," I explained softly.

Bella sighed, and nodded. She raised her fingers to her throat, and rubbed the skin right below he chin. I immediately felt guilty; she was still hungry and she must been in a lot of pain right now, especially around Jacob's blood, despite how disgusting it smelt.

"I apologize, Bella. You must be in a lot of pain. Let's go get you some food," I suggested, placing my hand on her lower back. She nodded, and turned to Jacob.

"Sorry for the bruises, Jake."

He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head. He rolled his eyes, a gesture that spoke _yeah right_. "Those weren't from you. They're from when I crashed my motorcycle the other day."

I saw Bella bite down on her bottom lip to stop her laughter, but I didn't have any problem with letting the obnoxious guffaws out of my mouth. Jacob's frowned increased, and he groaned angrily.

"Fine! They're from you. Congratulations for being unattractively strong, Bella."

She laughed softly as I led her away from the two. I decided to skip future races until I was positive we were in clear woods, but for now, I wasn't sure. Jacob's misplacement caught me off guard, and though I couldn't hear any human thoughts or smell any scents, I didn't want to chance it. After I educated Bella on the proper way to take down a kill, she moved onto her first victim, which was a full-grown buck. She was a little messy, but it was only to be expected as it was her first kill. She took down two more bucks before the burning in her throat was satiated, and we began to head back to the Black house. We were moving slowly, walking at human pace and enjoying the alone time that we surely wouldn't receive in the near future.

"Edward?" she asked softly as we walked, our hands clasped together between us. I hummed softly, answering her with a gentle noise.

"What happened in Italy?"

I stiffened, and closed my eyes, trying to will the question away. Though it did no good to dwell on it now, I was still ashamed that I had somehow managed to sell away Bella's soul, when it was the very thing I had gone to prevent. How was I supposed to tell her that?

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to .."

"I'm sorry, it's just .." I began, trying to grasp the correct words to make the entire thing a little bit more comfortable. She was glancing at me with pure curiosity, and I could only hope she was in a safe enough mood to not hate me after this.

"I went to Volterra to ask them to leave you alone. That's where Felix is from- the vampire guard _Volturi_. When I took you as a child from that room, Aro, the leader, suspected something was off, and he sent Felix to watch over you," I explained, pausing to gauge her reaction. She was staring; face blank and void of emotion. When she realized I had stopped talking, she simply nodded.

"Continue, please."

I nodded.

"Felix has been in your life from the day you moved in with your Uncle Tommy. He's been watching you, making sure you kept the secret of what really happened that day. And you did, but .. one night, you must've been having a nightmare. You narrated the dream out loud, while your Uncle Tommy stood at the door listening. He became suspicious, and started fishing around for information, so Felix killed him."

She was silent beside me, and I quickly turned to see her, but she wasn't there. I threw my head around, and found her standing several paces back. She had stopped walking some point in my story. I sighed heavily as I turned to stand next to her, and gently pulled her onto the ground with me.

"What are you thinking?" I whispered into her ear as I pulled her into my lap. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words were formed.

"Bella?"

She blinked, casting her gaze downwards. I tightened my grip around her shoulders, and her head dropped to my chest. I felt her hand reach up and clutch the shoulder of my t-shirt, fisting the fabric tightly in her fingers.

"It was my fault," she whispered suddenly, almost as if she had an epiphany. I lowered my head to glance down at her. She was staring wide-eyed up at my face. "I opened my big mouth, and Uncle Tommy was killed."

"No! Bella, no!" I bellowed. She didn't look at me, so I held her chin between my index and thumb, and jerked her face to mine. Her eyes, though still crimson and hungry, were impossibly sad. "This is not your fault. Do you hear me? They are sadistic, evil monsters who live for this kind of stuff. You were merely a pawn in their game. I'm sorry, Bella, I-"

I stopped myself, and she frowned.

"Why are you apologizing? This isn't your fault either. You've always been there to save me. I know you would never let them harm me," she announced, adding a soft smile. I snapped my eyes shut, ignoring the waves of guilt that rolled off of me.

"You can't say that," I whispered, my voice low and tortured. I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but I knew the frown, which I had grown to dislike very much, had only deepened. I felt her soft fingers trail the skin of my forehead, soothing me but not completely.

"Why can't I?"

"Because I failed you!" I seethed between clenched teeth. She stiffened in my arms, but didn't move.

"What are you talking about? How did you _fail_ me?"

"When I went to Volterra to ask them to leave you alone," I began, inhaling a sharp breath. She raised her eyebrows and nodded, silently asking me to continue. "Things went wrong. I ended up agreeing that you'd give your life for vampirism. They said that you couldn't be trusted with the secret, and that it was either your death or your doom."

I kept my eyes shut. I didn't want to see the anger or hatred on her face, that I knew I deserved so badly. I sighed and marveled in the wonder of her skin pressed against mine, because I knew that in a few milliseconds, it'd be gone.

"Edward.." she started, and I couldn't recognize her tone. "You're all worked up about _that_?"

I frowned, and everything seemed to freeze in place. My eyes snapped open, and I was amazed to see that she wasn't angry.

"Well .. yeah, of course, I am. You're not angry?"

She pressed her lips together, thinning them as her eyebrows raised high. She shook her head, and I gasped. "But why not? You have every right to be!"

"I would've wanted this either way, Edward. If this wouldn't have happened, I would've asked for it to happen. I love Uncle Charlie so much, and I appreciate everything he's done for me, but you- you, Alice, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett and even Rosalie- you're all my family. I needed this," she explained, her voice dropping down to a whisper. I soaked her words in, and tried to form a positive reaction, but even through my happiness, I felt guilt.

"But that doesn't mean you can't be angry that I didn't-"

"Do you _want_ me to be angry at you?"

I frowned.

"No, of course not. But you have the-"

"Then shut up," she ordered firmly, and before I could even comprehend what was happening, her lips were crushed hard against mine. I was stiff against her moving, frenzied kiss, trying to decipher what had brought this on, but as she pushed her body closer against me, all sense of reasoning went out of the window.

I raised my hand to cradle her face, smoothing my thumb against the softness of her cheek as I returned her kiss enthusiastically. She engulfed my bottom lip, sucking softly as she whimpered a gentle moan. It ignited something explosive inside of my body, and my actions turned more intimate. I slid my hand from her cheek down across her shoulders, breasts, and stomach until it fell hostage to her hip. She moaned once more into my mouth, before ripping her mouth away from mine.

She grasped hold of my shoulder and roughly shoved me down onto the ground. The impact didn't harm me, but it _did_ excite me and my lower anatomy. She threw her leg around my thigh, and straddled my waist, bringing her lips back down to mine. My hand continued to rub the excess flesh that was peeking through from the bottom of her shirt, and she continued to moan sexily into my mouth.

I licked her bottom lip, and she pushed them open against my own. My tongue found entrance, moving to the roof of her mouth as I explored enjoyably. I groaned in pleasure when her tongue touched mine, and they danced in a splendid rhythm that sent shivers through my entire body.

I grew bold and daring, and pushed my hand up farther. Her shirt rose with the movement of my hand. Closer .. Closer .. I moved my fingers over her ribs that were faintly visible through her strained posture. I pushed my hand up even farther, pausing to hear a dismissal from Bella.

Our lips continued to dance as my confidence slowly began to build. My fingers hadn't reached their destination just yet, and I felt embarrassed that I was so hesitant. Bella sighed, pulling her face from mine, and locking her gaze with mine.

"Stop thinking so much," she whispered, and she watched my face for a few long seconds, before she grasped my wrist in her hand. She buried her face in my neck, and I felt her lips pressing small, chaste kisses to the skin. She moved my hand to her right breast, and pushed my palm into the cotton covered flesh. I exhaled a sharp breath, and with my free hand, I yanked her chin up from off of my shoulder. I smashed my lips against hers for the millionth time today.

She whimpered in pleasure, and I became even more excited by the sound, if it were possible. I lifted my face from hers, and took a moment to just smile at her. She returned it, and I couldn't fathom how ridiculously happy I was right now. Despite everything that had happened, I knew things would be okay. Though Felix was still out there, nothing could hurt us now.

Her grin grew larger, and she pressed her forehead against mine, staring at my eyes.

Her eyes, her dark red but wonderful eyes, were the last thing I saw before something hard and solid slammed against my shoulder, knocking Bella out of the way and sending me flying across the forest floor. I groaned, and immediately opened my eyes, springing to my feet. A boot covered foot slammed into my stomach, and I heard Bella shriek before I went flying again.

I winced as I lifted my face from the ground. The boots stepped before me, and I didn't need to lift my eyes to know who it was.

_Welcome back, Cullen._

I trailed my eyes to his face, to see that he was grinning menacingly. His hand was extended towards my face, holding something between his fingers that frightened me greatly. It was a lighter. I wasn't necessarily scared of the item itself, but what the item could do made me nervous.

I tried to listen to his mind for his next move, but he was blocking me somehow. He had planned this out, and Alice was nowhere around here to guide me. I moved to stand on my feet, but he stepped around me and grabbed my ankle, lifting me in the air and throwing me into a bank of trees.

As quick as I was to try to scramble up, he was always quicker. I felt him grab my ankle again, and I anticipated being airborne again, but this was different. A sharp, searing pain began to run through to my knee. A metallic ripping noise was heard, before I unwillingly let out a howl of pain. I huffed, growling agonizingly as I glanced at my leg, which was now laying beside my head.

"Edward!" I heard Bella sob loudly. "Leave him alone! Please! I'm the one you want to kill, just leave him alone," she sobbed, and through my blurred vision, I could see her on her knee's, her hands clasped together in front of her face. She was begging, and he was laughing.

He shook his head, and took hold of my other ankle. I snapped my eyes closed, bracing myself for the pain that was sure to come. It didn't.

Seconds ticked by, and nothing.

I opened my eyes, and saw Felix standing not too far from me. He tried to step forward, lighter raised, but when he got close to me, he was propelled backwards, the force knocking him harshly against a tree. My eyes widened in shock, and I looked around for the source of the barrier that I knew was being produced.

What I found was Bella.

She was standing, her chest heaving, eyes ablaze, hair a mess and hands hanging limp at her side. She was the most beautiful I had ever seen her, but she was glowing with something indifferent. I wondered how long she could keep the shield up, and if it would hurt her to continue.

Felix picked himself up off of the ground, and snarled as he tried to lunged at me again. He was thrown backwards once more. I wanted to laugh at him, but I was so astonished, amazed and shocked that I found it hard to tear my eyes off of Bella.

She turned to glare at Felix, watching as he entered the area once more. He moved into a crouching position, a gesture I knew well that followed up with a lunge. Although it wasn't directed at me this time. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she mirrored. Her lip curled in fury, before she opened her mouth.

"You won't hurt him again."

* * *

**Oh, snap! Now before you all start hounding me, I _know_ that Bella's shielding abilities only apply to mental powers, but I decided to switch it up. Nothing wrong with that, right? Trust me, I've read all four books countless times, so I know the Twilight world very well. But I don't have to follow _everything_ Stephenie wrote. I'm predicting about one or two mores chapter, plus an epilogue. I have my new story open right now, and I'm editing the first chapter, so it might be posted tonight. I make no promises, but keep an eye out for that. I'll wrap this up, though. I'm aiming to get 400 reviews by the end of this story, so make it happen? Please, please, please? :D**


	28. The Circle Of Fire

**Bella.**

I couldn't decipher the inexplicable power that I felt flowing through my body. It made me feel strong, demanding and dangerous, and I liked it. A lot.

Seeing Felix detach Edward's leg from his body was excruciating. The sound of the bone being ripped from his knee; the agonizing howl of pain that he emitted as he watched his own limb being tossed around like a baseball bat. It was horrible.

It stemmed an entirely new batch of feelings. For once, I didn't automatically feel helpless and pathetic. A surge of fury and protectiveness was born, and I didn't think of anything except acting on them. For once, I was able to be the hero. And standing here now, watching amusedly as Felix continuously tried to break into the shield around Edward's injured body, I knew that I was.

When he turned his glare to meet my eyes, I didn't falter. My shield stayed strong, and I stayed angry. So much havoc had been inflicted upon my family; three lives had been lost, all because of those evil bastards. I wasn't going to let Felix win. I wasn't going to let _them _win.

Felix's first and last mistake was changing me. Maybe I was a weak, defenseless and spineless human before, but I was a revenge-seeking, angry and ass-kicking vampire now.

"You won't hurt him again."

I didn't recognize my own voice. It was deep, scratchy and so cold that I shivered at the sound. Felix stared for a moment, before his left eyebrow raised and he rolled his eyes before chuckling. A snarl rolled from my lips as he took a menacing step forward.

"Bella, please-" Edward rasped weakly from the ground. I didn't look at him; my eyes narrowing at Felix's tensed posture. He was anticipating attack, waiting for me to lunge or pounce, I could tell by his stance.

"Would you kill me, Isabella? I thought we were friends," he sneered, a devilish smile appearing on his lips.

"That was until I discovered you ate my Uncle," I spat viciously. He threw his head back and laughed, moving cautiously around me. We were circling each other, waiting for an attack at any time. My hands were raised out, prepared to pull, punch, push if needed.

"Details, details!"

His eyes darted to Edward, who was raising his upper body up with both arms, cringing in pain as his leg dragged across the dirt. I gulped; I wanted nothing more than to take the shield down, thrown him on my back and take him to Carlisle, but if I didn't do this now, I'd never have the chance again.

"Don't think about it. Don't even look at him. I'm going to kill you for hurting him," I seethed between clenched teeth, moving around him. He smirked, and glanced back at Edward, who was watching us with nervousness.

"A little reversed, isn't it, Cullen? Shouldn't _you_ be the one defending her honor?"

I turned to look at Edward, who narrowed his eyes.

"I already did- in Italy," he spoke with fire, and I watched in satisfaction as Felix's eyes widened in shock. "Did you contact Aro before biting her?"

The loud silence that ensued afterwards confirmed to both of us that he definitely didn't.

"You'll burn for this, Felix," he announced, cringing in pain as he moved his hands to apply pressure to his knee. I involuntarily took a step forward, Felix becoming the last thing on my mind at the moment.

"Are you okay, Edward?" I asked helplessly.

"I'm fine. I just need Carlisle to- Bella, move!"

His voice startled me, but the heavy body that impaled into my side startled me even more. I was thrown to the grass; the surrounding trees and bushes rattling as the impact shook the ground. Once again, my anger surged, and I was on my feet within seconds.

"Bella, behind you!"

As I spun my head to look behind me, I caught a glance of Edward desperately trying to pull himself up off of the ground. The shield was still in tact, but my vision blurred with indifference. It was wavering, and I couldn't let that happen. He was took weak to fight, and I knew Felix would take advantage of that.

"Edward, stay down! Please-"

Something slammed against my lower back, and I was thrown forward again. Instead of getting up, I kept myself on the ground. It was easier to keep the shield up if I wasn't fighting. I inhaled a sharp breath, and closed my eyes. I focused on the shield; on keeping Edward safe until Jake or the Cullen's found us.

"Bella, you have to let me out of here! Open your eyes!" he pleaded desperately, his voice begging. I didn't open them. "Please, open your eyes! Look at what's he doing! Don't let him do it!"

I could hear the splash of liquid upon the dead grass that surrounded us, and when my eyelids fluttered open, I smelt it. The pure, demanding scent of gasoline. It circled me, dancing around my body threateningly.

"What a tricky decision. Bella takes Edward's shield down, I kill him. Bella keeps Edward's shield up, and I kill her. Are you going to be that selfless, Bella?"

His voice was taunting me, and despite the fury that I felt, I was succumbing to the weakness. I couldn't let Edward's shield down, but the lighter that Felix held against the gasoline dampened blades of grass sealed my fate.

"Bella!" Edward roared angrily. "Take the damn shield down! Now!"

I shook my head stubbornly, ignoring a cackling Felix as he watched the two of us possibly say our final words.

"You can't fight. You need to stay in there until Carlisle-"

"What about you? I can't sit here and watch you burn. You have to let me out-" I locked eyes with him, and he stopped his begging. I narrowed my eyes, wishing that our final words weren't witnessed by Felix. My fingers dug into the dirt below me, trying to break through the barrier inside of my own head.

_I love you. Thank you for everything._

I heard his sharp gasp, and a click, before the flames flew in front of my face. They danced around me in a circle, closing in on me. I could hear Edward's pleas, before he pounded against the shield, screaming something that I wasn't coherent enough to hear at the moment. I needed a way out.

"Bella!"

The heat moved across my skin, and I cringed at the feeling. I moved to jump through a small patch of grass that hadn't been torched enough to block me, but Felix was there first. The small, white squeezable bottle that I didn't know he had was in his hands, and he was squirting it merrily upon the already blazing flames.

I was trapped.

Crawling to the ground, I felt defeated.

But at least Edward was safe. And when the Cullen's came, they'd take care of Felix and help Edward. Jake, Alice .. they'd all be safe. And in this moment, though I was incredibly sad that my new life was coming to an end as well as my time with Edward, I didn't feel regretful. I was giving up my life for the people who saved me, and that was the only thing I could do.

Edward's screams grew louder. The torn, pained tone in his voice wasn't easy to endure. On my knees, I lowered my between them, and covered my ears with the palms of my hands. In a few short moments, it would be over.

I would feel the fire once again, except this time, I wouldn't return.

"Let it go, Bella! We're here! He's safe, let it go!"

My eyes snapped open at the unforgettable sound of Alice's high pitched wail. I lifted my head marginally, and saw her and the rest of the Cullen's surrounding the circle of fire. Wolves completed the circle that they weren't large enough to fill. Felix wasn't anywhere in sight.

I tried to glance up at Edward, but the flames had my vision weak and blurry. I couldn't see for myself if he was safe enough to be let down.

"Trust us, Bella. Please! He's safe, now save yourself!"

My body began to feel heavier than it should've. I crumpled to the ground in a broken heap, trembling with unexplainable withers of pain. This was it.

I opened my eyes. I wanted to see them before I went.

They were all there. Alice, who looked as if she was desperately trying to jump into the flames if not held back by Jasper. Emmett, who was glancing back and fourth at the growing fire, possibly trying to find an entrance in to get me out. Rosalie, who looked on the verge of tears. Carlisle and Esme were wrapped in each other's embrace on the forest floor next to Edward's blocked off body. The wolves around me, though I couldn't see them, howled in unison.

And then _they_ were there.

My body twisted in panic that they were there to avenge Felix's death, but they stood, staring at me from inside the circle of flames; the same mourning expression on their face as well. I stared at the tall one. He locked eyes with me, and everything came rushing back to me. He tipped his head forward to me, before mouthing three words.

"Let go, Bella."

And suddenly, I couldn't hold onto it any longer. I hoped that if the Volturi were here to fight, that the Cullen's were prepared to fight. I hoped that they'd have the decency to take Edward away from the scene. I just hoped they were safe.

And then I let go.

It felt as if a million pounds had been lifted off of my body, but the struggle to keep my eyes open only increased. I gasped, feeling a flame lick the shoe on my foot, and tried to kick myself away.

For what seemed like the hundredth time in my life, I braced myself for certain death.

My eyelids were heavy and closing, but I heard Alice and Esme shriek loudly at the same time, and I opened them far enough to see Edward jump through the flames unsuccessfully. I groaned in pain, and his body landed with a thud next to mine. Gasping, I rolled over to him.

"Edward?" I whispered.

He opened his eyes, and I immediately felt relieved. He tried to give me a small smile, but I could see the pain that etched his face. I craned my neck to look back, and saw the flames that engulfed his remaining leg.

I let out a whimper, and rolled closer to him.

"I love you," I sobbed tearlessly, and all I received in return was a smile.

"Edward!" one of the girls shrieked again. "Bella, now!"

As the fire touched my foot for the second time, I squeezed my eyes shut, moved closer to Edward and mustered every ounce of strength that I had left in my body- and pushed. The shield surrounded us before we were swallowed by the flames, but before I could open my eyes, I let go.

And this time, I let go of everything.

* * *

**That, my friend, is the end. Well .. not really. You still have the epilogue to look forward to. I apologize for the extremely short length of the chapter, but sometimes short is better. There wasn't really anything else I wanted to include, since I'm saving the rest for the epilogue, but I wasn't going to drabble on about everything to make things longer. That's not my style, haha. Anyway, the reviews last time were awesome! Thank you so much! Let's try to do it again this time. Especially if you've never reviewed before. Since this is the last chapter before the epilogue, if you want to say something about the story, this is your last chance! Well .. technically not, since the story will be up for anybody to read in the future, but I'll stop rambling. You all know what I mean.**

**Secondly, I've put up my new story. It's rated M, and it's called Lunacy. If you have the time, pretty please with sugar on top go check it out and let me know what you think. I'm extremely nervous about it, since it's basically me stepping out of my comfort zone, so I need some serious input. Please & thank you?**

**I think that's about it. I'll try to have the Epilogue out soon, but in the meantime, review! :D  
**


	29. Epilogue

**Bella.**

This time, the sun did not come to taunt me. It hid beneath the texture of the thick, gray clouds; it's illumination only visibly dull to searching eyes. The scene in front of me seemed so familiar, as my eyes trained on the black embroidered casket.

A few people that I hadn't ever met sat in the back row, weeping silently as they bowed their heads. The man in the front continued to talk, reciting words from the Bible that sounded strangely like gibberish to my ears at the moment. The atmosphere was dark, dreary and depressing. It was the appropriate environment for today.

I stood, stiff and frozen, away from the small gathering. I could see Alice and Esme huddled together in the front. Their shoulders shook with their tearless sobs. My fingers curled into fists, digging into the hard flesh of my palm. I watched as Jasper draped an arm around Alice, pulling her away from my vampire mother and bringing her head to his chest. She continued to cry while he trained his sad eyes at the casket.

Instead of comforting his distraught wife, Carlisle opted to take a seat next to Uncle Charlie. It was hard to place the emotion on either of them. Their faces were blank, and Uncle Charlie's skin was beginning to rival the paleness of a vampire.

I hated seeing this.

I hated _feeling_ this.

I wanted to mourn. I wanted to shed actual tears. I should be happy that I'm here; that I'm safe, and don't get me wrong- I am. There's still a dominant part of me that feels as if I just lost a large piece of who I am as a person. I can only hope that as the future progresses, it grows back.

The chilly air flew forcefully around my head, blowing my hair around my face. Though I wasn't affected by it's bitter nipping, I still shivered. The breeze danced around my lone body, before moving in a strong gust to the crowd that was gathered in the distance ahead of me.

Alice, who must've caught my scent with the gust of air, lifted her head and met my eyes. We stared at each other for a few silent seconds, before her lips curled up in a small smile. Though I wanted to be sad, her emotions were infectious. I returned the smile, and she dropped her head back into Jasper's body.

I ducked behind the large oak tree, watching the burial service from behind the bark. It was the same as every other funeral I've ever been too, but it was different at the same time.

And ridiculously creepy.

I sucked in a sharp breath when the crowd stood to their feet. A few men with shovels stood respectively off to the side, ready and prepared to lift the heavy coffin into the ground. A woman holding a large colorful assortment of flowers was next to the coffin, handing one out to everybody that got in line.

And then I had to close my eyes.

I still couldn't block out the sounds of the crying. Of the sorrowful goodbyes that were being whispered as their fingernails scratched softly against the casket. I'm pretty sure I could even hear the drop of the flowers as the landed atop the hollow black wood.

Suddenly, I felt warm fingers touch my shaking fists. I immediately recoiled under the touch, and let him link his fingers through mine. I released a breath that I wasn't even aware I was holding, and craned my neck to look up at him. He smiled languidly down at me.

"What'd I miss?"

I snorted sarcastically, and tipped my head toward the mass of sad, weeping people.

"Do you know how disturbing it is to watch your own burial?" I retorted, rejoicing the warmth of his body as he grasped me around the waist and pulled me into his chest. He laughed softly, and shook his head.

"It has to be somewhat comforting as well, don't you think? To know that all of those people cared so deeply for you," he suggested, raising his eyebrows. He had a point, but the thought didn't comfort me at all.

"I feel so guilty. Just .. look at Uncle Charlie. I can't believe I'm doing this to him."

I followed his eyes as they glanced over to my still shocked Uncle. Carlisle now had his arm around his shoulder in a brotherly way, and was speaking in hushed tones into his ear. If I wanted to, I could strain to hear it. But I didn't want to. I didn't want to hear people comfort _my_ uncle on _my_ own death.

"To be honest, Bella, I think he was prepared for this. He's a very smart man. I'm positive that he had suspected something of my family, and though his thoughts are blurry, I'm positive that he knows you're somewhere safe."

I nodded, gulping down my sadness as I nuzzled my head further into Edward's coat.

Apparently, after I put up the shield, I had passed out. Carlisle says that I used entirely too much energy, and it was a harsh symptom of my power. But I was able to keep the shield up long enough for the Cullen's to distinguish the fire.

Though my foot had been scorched, as well as Edward's leg, we had healed perfectly. Carlisle had re-attached Edward's torn leg in some grotesque operation that I wasn't willing to witness, and in just a week or so, we were healthy vampires again.

Felix had been destroyed by his own family- the Volturi. Aro had given Edward his word in Italy that after two months, he had no other choice but to bite me. Felix went against his orders, which were to contact Aro, Caius or Marcus before he acted on anything. Using the very same embers that he had created to kill me, they set him to fire.

A few weeks after that, police found my dead body, laying lifeless on the banks of La Push beach.

"He'll be okay," Edward's voice shook me out of my thoughts, and I focused my eyes on the small tent full of people again. I watched as a suit-clad Jacob pressed his palm against the casket, staring at the flower that he had just deposited.

After a few seconds, his chin raised, and he caught my gaze. I couldn't help but smile, before raising my hand and waggling my fingers at him. I could almost hear his playful smirk as the smile threatened to erupt on his face, and he dropped his head to hide it.

Jacob had helped the cover for my death. He had told the authorities that we had been growing close as friends, and that I had been talking non-stop about my constant desire to cliff-dive. His story helped push the decision to rule my death as an accident.

Edward had never met Charlie, but the gossip in town had begun immediately after my "death". Somebody started the absurd rumor that he had killed me in a fit of passionate rage after a fight, and fled town so he wouldn't be arrested. Carlisle and Esme assured Charlie that Edward was still in Italy at the time, and had the Volturi confirm the cover story as well.

"Jacob," I heard Edward acknowledge. I lifted my eyes, and smiled softly when I saw him stalking slowly towards us, making sure nobody was watching him. When he reached us, I separated myself from Edward and grabbed at his shoulders to pull him into a hug.

"Despite how horrible you smell, I'm going to miss you so much," I whispered into his neck. I felt his body vibrate with laughter.

"Ditto."

He gently retracted himself from my grasp. I studied his face, and watched as he opened his mouth to inhale a breath, releasing it with a tense sigh seconds after.

"I wish I could've gotten to know you more," he whispered longingly. I smiled, and nodded.

"Ditto."

He grinned, before throwing his head back to look at the tent. The smile dropped from his face as we both witnessed the sheer misery that surrounded Uncle Charlie. I gulped, looking back at Jacob. I reached for his hand.

"Please take care of him," I pleaded. Jacob's smile wasn't as cheerful as before, but it was something. He nodded, and let go of my hand, before extending it to Edward.

"Take care of her," he ordered, throwing his head in my direction. I chuckled loudly, and the two of them laughed loudly, before respectively shaking hands. Jacob stepped back, and nodded in our direction, before taking a few steps back. Out of the cemetery. Out of my life.

"Bye, Bella."

Edward engulfed my body with his again, before leaning down to my ear.

"People are going to start noticing us. We have to leave," he whispered, his thumb stroking the skin of my neck. I nodded; suddenly wracked with the unreasonable need to stay here in Forks, with Uncle Charlie.

"Just give me some more time," I whispered back, my voice hoarse and raspy. "Please."

He stared at me for a long moment, before nodding. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "I'll be in the forest. Don't keep me waiting for long."

I heard his heavy footsteps as he ran behind me. Like always, I felt an immediate loss at his presence, but it didn't compare to the loss I felt at myself. My life here was gone, and I had bright, snowy Alaska to look forward to. I would live forever with my family, with the love of my life, and I would live easily as a newborn because I had amazing self-control. But with all these things given to me, I still felt a sense of loss.

I watched from behind the tree as everybody cleared out. I watched as the tent was taken down, and the chairs were removed from the area. I watched as the men with shovels lowered the casket into the ground only a few feet away from where the tent was located. I watched as they worked through the afternoon; filling the remainder of the hole. I watched as they inserted the headstone, and surrounded it with the appropriate flowers that had been ordered.

And when they were done and gone, I watched myself involuntarily approach it.

I kneeled, touching the cool, rough texture of the gravestone. I gulped, and my chest throbbed as I read the words inscribed.

_Isabella Marie Swan._

_September 13, 1987 - November 21, 2006._

_Loving niece, friend, and daughter. _

The words were so simple, but they tugged at something inside of me. I sniffled, despite my dry face, and closed my eyes. This was it. I had closure. My human life was over. It was the past, and the future was waiting for me in the forest right this very second. I stood upright, but before I could turn around, a gust of air alerted me of his presence.

He was so quiet. How didn't I hear him?

"Bella .." he gasped out breathlessly. A cold, numbing streak of shock slipped throughout my body and I suddenly couldn't move. I could hear him heaving for air behind me, but it was too late for me to run.

I turned around.

His eyes widened at the sight of me. I watched as he glanced up at the moon, before focusing on me again. I knew that I wasn't sparkling, but I've seen Edward in the moonlight before, and the comparison of the skin color against the milky white light is enough to stun somebody speechless.

I smiled.

"I'm not gone, Uncle Charlie. Far from it," I spoke confidently, and his body stiffened with the sound of my voice. "I wish I could help you understand what you're seeing right now. But I can't."

He opened his mouth to speak, but after a few failed attempts, he sighed.

"Were you ever happy here? Did I do a good job, kid?"

I laughed softly.

"I was more happy here than I was anywhere in my entire life. You're incredible, Uncle Charlie. I'll always miss you."

He gulped, and I watched as his adams apple took a deep plunge. He nodded. We were both silent, but he was fidgety, and I knew what he wanted to do. It was the same thing that I ached to do.

I extended my hand, and he studied it for a few seconds, before grasping it tightly with his own. I took the opportunity to pull him to me. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he sighed deeply as he rested his chin against my head.

"I'm gonna miss you too, kid."

I pulled away, and leaned up to kiss him gently on the cheek, before smiling.

"I love you. Take care of yourself, okay?" I asked. He grinned, and nodded. My eyelids burned as I watched the tears gather at the corner of his eyes. I wanted to pull him in for another hug, but I could smell Edward in the distance; waiting.

"I have to go," I whispered. He sniffled loudly, and nodded, dropping my hand. "Goodbye."

And with that, I turned on my heel and began to my walk into the forest. I could feel his eyes on me. I knew he was watching as I entered the dark depths of the trees. And when I fell out of eyesight from him, Edward was there.

He grabbed my hand, and held it tightly in mine as we walked at a human pace back to the house. When we got there, we would pack our things, and we'd leave to Alaska to start our new lives.

We had only taken a few steps, hands intertwined, before I heard Uncle Charlie speak one last time. It was two words that sealed everything for me. Two words that lifted my spirits, and put a smile on my face as I continued to step toward future with Edward.

"Goodbye, Bella."

* * *

**The End! This is officially my first completed fanfiction. I want to thank every single one of you that reviewed. You have no idea how much it means to me that you took the time to read this. I'll now be focusing on my new Twilight fic, Lunacy, so if you find yourself missing my writing (haha) you can go check that out. :D **

**And before I go- I figure, what's an author note from me if I don't shamelessly advertise something? So here's one last plug. For those of you who read YA novels (which is what the Twilight series is) I've started a review site on blogger. Right now, I've only got one review up- Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. But I started it just the other day, so I'm hoping for some progress soon. If you're into the book blogging scene, come follow me! The link is in my profile. :D**

**That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoyed Welcome To Existence. Once again, thanks for all of your reviews, and stayed tuned for future stories by me!  
**


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